The Silent Storm
by roshini-lal
Summary: Nathan has finally made it to the NBA. However, his contract with the Bobcats has come at a hefty price - Nathan can only play professional basketball if he keeps Haley and Jamie a secret from the rest of world. Haley must raise Jamie alone whilst Nathan's on the road and Nathan has to watch and protect his family from afar. Will Nathan and Haley make it through yet another hurdle?
1. Chapter 1

"It's the only way, Nate," Clay ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "The Bobcats will only take you if you agree to their terms-"

"I … I," Nathan Scott was stuck at a crossroad which led to dead end roads either way. For the past twenty four years of his life, Nathan had dreamt of playing for the NBA and now, finally, his time had come. However, much to his dismay, at a hefty price.

"It's not like they are asking you to divorce, Haley … they're just asking you to keep her and Jamie a secret." Clay tried explaining the situation rationally to his newest client. "You need to be the young, single playboy … the guy that all of the girls pay to come and see. It's simple marketing and if you're married with a child, your appeal to the female demographic will drop."

"I am married, Clay!" Nathan slammed his palm against the table. "How am I just meant to abandon my son and my wife?"

"Listen to me, Scott, you're not abandoning anyone … you are still Jamie's father and Haley's husband, the world just isn't going to know that." Clay rummaged around in his desk draw before pulling out a stack of legal papers. "Call Haley inside and we'll discuss this - calmly and rationally." Clay's voice dropped a few octaves, mirroring the soft and gentle tone a of yoga instructor. For a second, it had a calming effect on Nathan's raging mind. "This is your dream, Nate. Don't blow it." Nathan just nodded as he and Clay silently waited for Haley to join them.

Haley James Scott had been waiting in the reception area of Clay's office and she was curious to know why she had been invited over to Charlotte to speak with her husband's agent. Basketball and all the legalities usually never crossed Haley's path. She was just the wife; the biggest cheerleader and supporter of the team. That's it.

"Just go right in, they're waiting for you." Clay's Barbie blonde assistant grinned cinematically towards the door. Haley thanked her before knocking gently and waltzing into the large yet homely office.

Nathan's spirits immediately lifted at the sight of his beautiful wife. Even after all most seven years of marriage Haley James was as shockingly beautiful as ever. Her hair was a subtle cross between mousy brown and blonde and it seemed to shimmer under the dim lighting in the room. Her hazel eyes were framed with the smallest fraction of makeup which surprisingly accentuated the bright colours upon her printed dress; everlasting lengthy legs on show for all to admire. Nate let his hand rest on Haley's bare thigh as she sat next to him, her body buzzing with curiosity.

"Haley!" Clay grinned. He was fond of Haley, she was great: a mother, a wife, a teacher, a friend. She was what every woman aspired to be - classy and … good, to everyone and everything. "It's great to see you."

"You too." Haley chuckled, threading her fingers through Nathan's absentmindedly. Nathan noticed how he was clutching tightly onto Haley's left hand; the hand that held her wedding band - the inanimate symbol of his love for her and vice versa. "So, what's going on?"

"Listen, Hales-" Nathan panicked, perspiration forming upon his forehead. Clay could see Nathan's desperation and he quickly interjected.

"Haley, I want you to remember that I've tried my hardest to avoid this but …" Haley stared back at Clay like a pre-schooler in the first grade - puzzled. "The Bobcats will only sign on Nathan," Clay was trying to pick his words carefully because he knew he was stepping on egg shells. Nathan's family life was at stake and Clay acknowledged that fact.

"I know that, silly! The only available position they have is point guard-"

"No … I mean, yes, but, the Bobcats just want Nathan. They don't want you … or Jamie."

Nathan winced inwardly and he refused to meet Haley's gaze which was now directed at him. Her glare seemed to penetrate a hole into his cheek yet he couldn't look at her. Nathan knew if he did, it would break him … it would break his fragile heart and he couldn't let that happen.

Not right now.

"What? What … is that meant to mean?" Haley stuttered unsurely.

"The team needs a young, edgy reputation and they think Nathan is perfect for that. He is young and his game is boastful … they want to give him a bad boy reputation. They want to see him out at clubs and at charity events with actresses and models-"

"And, Jamie and I don't fit into that kind of lifestyle." Haley muttered inaudibly but the silence in the room allowed her melodic voice to travel well. Nathan could hear the distress in Haley's voice and he tried to reach over to comfort her.

She pushed him away.

Haley pulled her hand out of Nathan's and glanced at her lap.

"I'm sorry, Hales," Clay watched the sadness in both Nathan and Haley's eyes start to grow more and more evident. "The Bobcats' chairman wants to keep you and Jamie hidden from you public eye … He, he wants you to drop the Scott name."

"What?" Nathan practically pounced out of his seat, his six foot two frame springing upwards dramatically. "We never discussed that, man. She's my-"

"You guys already discussed this?" Haley whispered, the tears welling in her eyes. "Without me and Jamie?"

Haley suddenly felt betrayed. She understood that the NBA was Nathan's dream and she knew that he had worked exceptionally hard to get where he was today but … Haley and Nathan had promised each other that they would work through things together. After everything the couple had endured, they had vowed to confront one another in order to make the best decisions for their family. They would unite against the world, together.

It seemed as if Nathan had forgotten this.

"It's not like that, Hales, Clay spoke to me about it briefly when I signed my contract but, I didn't think it would come to this. I just thought Bill was bluffing. I thought the board would see me with you and Jamie and they'd forget all about it-"

"You signed your contract a month ago, Nathan! Did you not even think to mention all of this to me?" Haley now felt worse. She felt worse because Nathan had chosen to hide this all from her. "And your plan with the board didn't work, obviously, so … what do we do now, huh?" Haley let a stray tear fall down her cheek. "Where do we go from here?"

"The team is willing to pay for all the legalities, you just have to sign a few forms." Clay scooted the papers over towards Haley. Being full owner of a record label, Haley understood the whole legal jargon and her eyes continuously traced the words - _send papers of decree absolute_ - on the first page.

"You want a divorce?" Haley hiccupped. She was no longer holding back her tears and her cheeks flooded with the briny water. The water dripped down her face, the salty taste lingering upon her lips.

"No, no, baby, no," Again, Nathan tried to reach for Haley but she whacked his arm away from her. Nathan felt rejected and defeated and he began to pace the length of the office. With his large legs, he only managed to take three-to-four steps before having to spin around and walk back. "Clay!" Nathan desperately pleaded for him to help him out of such a sticky situation.

"You can change your last name without any legal documentation of a marriage or a separation," Haley realised how monotonous and business like Clay's voice had become. He wasn't her friend anymore, he was Nathan's agent; he was just doing his job. "There is no need for a divorce, Haley … this whole _thing _it's just business, we keep you a secret and Nathan gets to live his dream. That doesn't mean Nathan loves you or Jamie any less."

Clay's words were like a heavy punch to Haley's chest – _Nathan gets to live his dream_.

Flashbacks of Nathan playing basketball flooded Haley's mind; at the River Court, at Tree Hill high, after his accident, with Quentin, with Jamie and Haley knew what she had to do. This was everything Nathan had ever wanted and Haley knew she couldn't take that away from him. Nathan had let her go on tour when she was sixteen and he had given up everything for her to live out her dream … Haley would be a hypocrite if she didn't let Nathan do the same.

He deserved this world; he had worked for it, after all.

"I have one condition." Haley sloppily wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.

"Sure?" Clay looked over at Nathan curiously, unsure of what Haley was going to ask next. Clay knew, for a fact, that Haley wouldn't ask for money or property or anything of that sort and … other than that, there was nothing left to ask for. "What is it?"

"If I drop the Scott name, so does Jamie." Haley gulped audibly. "I know my place in all of this but … Jamie's just a boy, I'm not letting him get dragged into this mess."

"Haley," Nathan's own tears were beginning to form. A certain scene was imprinted in Nathan's brain like a scorching burn; the moment Jame had been born. Nate remembered clutching Haley's petite little hand, comforting her as she yelled in immense pain. Nate remembered Jamie's shrill cry as he entered the world. He remembered how Haley's face lit up in happiness at the sight of their baby. He remembered holding his son for the first time. He remembered Haley calling him his name for the first time – _James Lucas Scott_. "Please, baby, please-"

"That's all I ask for. I'm not letting my son get ambushed by legalities and forms and confidentiality agreements … If I drop the Scott name, my son does too."

Nathan noticed how Haley said, _my_ son and not _our_ son; his heart shattering within him.


	2. Chapter 2

"Momma," Jamie strolled into the room, the rubber basketball tucked comfortably under his arm. His hair was damp with sweat and his slightly chubby cheeks were reddened due to his extensive basketball game. "Can I sleep in my jersey tonight?"

Haley was standing near the fireplace, the orange and yellow flickers casting across her sullen face. She was staring at the set of family pictures that adorned the mantel piece. The one that stood out the most was the picture taken by Brooke on the night Jamie was born. Lucas and Peyton sat on either side of the hospital bed; Haley, Nate and Jamie in the middle. The picture was all smiles and happiness but … that wasn't why Haley adored the picture. Opposed to herself, Lucas and Peyton, Nathan wasn't staring directly at the camera … he was cradling Jamie and he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the small bundle in his arms. There was so much love and adoration in his eyes – it was magical.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Haley pulled a smile onto her face for the sake of her son. Skills had been coaching Jamie's school basketball team for months and, for the first time, the team had had their first win. A sense of pride was swimming through her veins and she couldn't help but envelope Jamie's growing frame into her arms. "You kind of smell." Haley mockingly pulled a sour face and Jamie frowned at his mother.

"Do not; Uncle Skills says … if you don't sweat, you didn't work hard enough."

"I think Uncle Skills needs to take it easy on you boys," Haley muttered under her breathe. She knew Jamie loved playing basketball – he got that from Nathan – but, Haley didn't want there to be a _Grandpa Dan_ figure in Jamie's life. Haley wanted Jamie to enjoy the game, not be pressured into being perfect at it. "How about we do this? You played amazing tonight-" Haley peppered a kiss against Jamie's blonde hair. "So, you deserve a treat … I'll run you a bath-" Before Jamie could ask, Haley answered with a grin. "With bubbles and then we'll order a pizza, cool?" Jamie nodded eagerly. "Cool."

Haley took a hold of Jamie's hand and raced him up the stairs, the duo stumbling over their feet towards the bathroom. Their squeals of laughter and clumsiness echoed throughout the empty house and Haley – for a second – felt emptiness settle within her.

Suddenly, the large house that Nathan and she had worked so hard for seemed useless. There was no need for Haley and Jamie to live in such a big house, alone. In fact, it just reminded Haley of the fact that Nathan was no longer going to be around … at least for the majority of the year. After she had signed the papers which legally changed her name back to her maiden one, Nathan and Haley hadn't spoken much. Heck, the two hadn't even said proper goodbye's when Nathan had left for his game in Memphis. It felt wrong – not talking to Nathan – but Haley knew if she and Nathan acted the way that they did before, Haley would never let Nathan leave. She loved him, with all of her heart, and she didn't have the willpower in her to pull him away from his dream. It was easier for Haley to be complacent and uninvolved rather than emotionally attached and hurting.

"Why didn't daddy come to my game tonight?" Jamie settled into the porcelain tub, his hands twitching at the faucet knobs. Haley paused with the bath foam canister in her hand. "He promised me he'd be here tonight." Haley noticed the sadness in Jamie's eyes and she realised … this was only the beginning. Playing professional basketball was more than just playing the sport. Players were just pawns in a bigger game; whatever the Bobcats board wanted, they got, whether that be a body spray commercial or separation from your family.

"He promised you that?" Haley poured some ivy green liquid into the running bath water, her fingers mixing the two together. Jamie followed her actions and let his hand delve into the growing bubbles. "Listen, bud, don't take it too personally, alright? Daddy's just busy."

"But, he promised to be here for my birthday party on Saturday and-"

"You listen to me, James," Haley knelt down beside the bath tub, her body lowering so that she was making eye contact with the blue-eyed devil in front of her. "Your daddy loves you, more than you will ever know and … if he can't make it for your birthday; I don't want you to be too upset. I know that Uncle Luke and Aunt Brooke are coming; Peyton, Jake, Aunt Quinn, Uncle Skills, Mouth, Nanny Deb. I promise you, we'll throw you the best party ever, okay?"

"No, don't promise …" Jamie looked so broken it was practically killing Haley. She knew this was going to happen, over and over again and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Nathan was going to miss a lot of important events in Jamie's life due to away games and they needed to get used to that. "Promises get broken."

"Have I ever broken a promise?" Haley shrugged her shoulders hopefully. Jamie put a small finger to his chin before shaking his head – no, Haley had never broken a promise … at least no to her son. "Good. Now, I want you to think about what you want for your forth birthday whilst I go and order our pizza."

"Mom!" Jamie called as Haley left the room. "I am turning seven, not four!"

"They grow up so fast!" Haley hollered back, subtle laughter seeping through her voice. She skipped down the stairs and towards the kitchen. Instantly, Haley felt better. A few moments ago, Haley had all most felt sorry for herself but … now, she realised she had no right to be miserable. Despite everything going on with Nathan and his basketball contract, Haley knew her husband still loved her; she had a gorgeous son, the greatest friends and a job that many would kill for.

Haley was the luckiest woman on Earth.

With a new warmth settling in within her blood, Haley rummaged through drawers and cupboards, searching for the pizza pamphlets. She flicked the television on as she searched, the noise from the TV drowning out the silence in the house. As Haley looked through the takeout menu, she hadn't even noticed what channel the TV was set upon or what exactly she was watching but … she regretted it as soon as she noticed what was on.

_Nathan Scott, the Bobcats' newest point guard was seen celebrating his smashing victory against the Celtics, 28-41, by throwing one of the largest parties of this year. Scott and his agent, Clay Evans, were spotted at Evans' condo on Tree Hill beach. The party is reported to be on-going; the cops boarding of the section of the beach for the night to allow the team a private and safe celebration. Scott himself stated, "It's been one of the greatest nights of my life." And, with a win like his, we would be surprised if it wasn't. By the looks of it, the Bobcats have had a promising start to the upcoming season and that is thanks to the newest addition to the team. _

Haley grabbed the remote and switched the television off abruptly. She knew it shouldn't have but, the news report made her angry … more than angry, she was enraged. Haley knew this was what Nathan's PR wanted but, she couldn't help but be vexed at the fact that Nathan was out partying whilst her son yearned for his father. All Jamie had wanted was to make his father proud and Nathan hadn't been there to witness Jamie's first ever basketball win. It hurt even more knowing Nathan had made it back to Tree Hill in time for Jamie's game but hadn't even bothered to make an appearance.

After ordering her and Jamie's signature pizza – jalapeno and pineapple – Haley went back upstairs to check on her son. Haley chuckled as she walked into the bathroom to find Jamie with a foamy Mohawk upon his tiny little head. His eyes snapped up to his mother's and he pouted as she laughed at him. "I love the new hairdo."

"Do I look like Uncle Luke after Aunt Lindsey left him?" Jamie pulled his lips into a snarl and pulled more bubble up to his face to give himself a five o'clock shadow, trying to mock Lucas. Again, Haley couldn't contain her laughter … her son was such a comedian.

"You look _exactly_ like your Uncle Luke." Haley swatted away the lemon scented beard and began to wash at Jamie's bare body with the shower hose. "It's why I named you James Lucas." Haley was careful not to add the Scott to the end of Jamie's name. After all, Jamie wasn't a Scott … not anymore, neither was she. "Your Uncle Lucas is my best friend and I just knew, before you were born, you'd become my best friend too."

"Don't be greedy, mom, you can't have two best friends!"

"Of course you can," Haley grabbed a towel and wound it around Jamie, her hands absentmindedly rubbing the goose bumps away from his pale arms. "You have Uncle Skills, Chuck, Madison, Uncle Lucas – they're all your best friends, aren't they?"

"Huh, you're right." Jamie looked at Haley as if he had had a major epiphany. There was a glint in his eyes that made Haley yearn for youth. She remembered witnessing that same spark with the students she used to tutor in high school. Now that she thought of it, it felt like another lifetime ago. "But you're wrong about one thing," Jamie rested his hands against Haley's shoulders. "You forgot your name of the best friends list. You're my best friend too, momma."

"I love you, you know that right?" Jamie nodded and kissed Haley's cheek. Before Jamie could reply, the doorbell rang. "Pizza's here!" Haley clasped her hands together and groaned with excitement. She hadn't thought about it much but, she was starving and her stomach growled approvingly. "Get your jersey back on, Jim-Jam and meet me downstairs." Jamie mock saluted before running in his towel towards his bedroom. Haley watched after him wistfully before turning to answer the door.

"Baker's Pizza, we Baker's bake the best pizza in Carolina." The pizza boy, or pizza _man_, said the catch phrase with a monotonous, bored tone to his voice. He had a large frame, one that could easily be over six foot five and his bulging muscles had been stuffed into an awfully small red and blue uniform. Excusing his awkward looking exterior, the pizza guy was a cutie. His eyes were a forest green and his skin a tanned caramel. He looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine, not on Haley's doorstep. "Pineapple and Jalapeno order for a … Haley James?"

"Yep, that's me."

"That'll be twelve dollars but honestly speaking, that combo sounds so gross … I'd probably give you the pizza for free." The pizza guy glanced down at the piping hot pizza in his hand and winced. "What possessed you to even consider trying that?"

"I think it was a concoction my son invented," Haley laughed. "It's not that bad, trust me it's pretty good actually. My favourite."

"Wow," Julian – as Haley could see from his name tag – whistled lowly. "You do not look old enough to have a son." Haley uncomfortably shifted upon her feet as she watched his eyes look her over; head-to-toe. After being married for as long as Haley had, she didn't bother as much about her looks. Yes, Haley had never been the girly kind of girl but, after seven years of marriage, she was a lot more comfortable. It was a surprise to see a stranger admiring her in a simple pair of jeans and a shirt.

"Why thank you, Julian," Julian stared back at Haley, confused, but she simply pointed to his name tag. He whacked his forehead with his palm theatrically, in an all most _duh_-like motion. "I had my son, Jamie, when I was seventeen." Julian let out another low whistle, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. "If you think that's bad, I got married at sixteen." Before she could stop the words coming out, they did, and Haley slapped a palm against her mouth.

She wasn't married anymore … at least not to the public.

"Am I being punked?" Julian looked around, his eyes narrowing as if Ashton Kutcher was going to jump out of the shrub bush. "What sane sixteen year old gets married?"

"Well, getting married at sixteen has its drawbacks," Haley felt as if she needed to play along with this lie that had been fabricated by the Bobcats' board so, she lifted her land up for Julian to see. Another clause of Haley's contract was that she had to stop wearing her wedding ring, the same applied to Nathan. "I'm twenty-four, _single_," Haley tried to emphasise the single part, per say her contract. "With a seven year old."

"Well, miss Haley James-"

"Momma!" Jamie pounded down the stairs, his feet halting at the door beside Haley. Immediately, his head tilted upwards to catch a sight at a staggeringly tall, Julian. "Hey, dude, how tall are you?" Haley hit Jamie's shoulder playfully, her eyes narrowing into small slits. "Sorry, my name is James. How are you doing tonight? _How_ _tall are you_?"

Julian couldn't help but coo at the kid in front of him. Julian Baker had grown up an only child. He had spent his whole childhood learning how to run his family's business and, here he was, a grown man and delivering pizza. It was all most refreshing to see a girl of Haley's age accomplish as much as she had. From what Julian could see, she was a beautiful, single woman with a handsome son and a lavish home. She seemed edgy and daring yet courageous and classy; something which had Julian instantly interested. The kid's cuteness also helped.

"I'm Julian and I'm six foot six." Julian shifted the now lukewarm pizza in his arm so that he could shake Jamie's hand. "And, I'm having a great night, thank you … hey, cool shirt." Julian pointed at Jamie's Junior Raven's jersey. "You a player?"

"Yeah!" Jamie practically squealed at the opportunity to discuss his win tonight. "We won our first game tonight – I play shooting guard."

"Well, I know nothing about basketball, maybe you could teach me sometime?" Jamie looked up at him mom before nodding excitedly. How was it that a grown American man knew nothing of basketball? To most people in Tree Hill, basketball was a religion, an obsession – a way of life. "And, maybe, Haley James … we could try some of that disgusting jalapeno pizza you seem to love so much."

"Yeah," Haley mumbled unsurely. She didn't want to give Julian the wrong impression; she was still married. She was putting up a façade but, ultimately, she wasn't single. She was married. "Maybe."

"Goodnight, Julian!" Jamie waved, oblivious to the hope written upon Julian's face and the panic written upon his mother's.

"Night, kid," Julian jumped onto his motor cycle, sliding his helmet skilfully onto his head. "Congratulations on your win, I'm sure you did your mom proud."

In that one moment, Jamie knew that he didn't have to make his dad proud, not when his mom was proud enough for the both of them. Jamie waved at Julian as he drove out of the driveway, his silhouette fading into the darkness of the night.

"Come on, mom!" Jamie tugged on Haley's hand. "I thought you were hungry!" Haley smiled at the empty driveway before directing Jamie back into the house. Her mouth lay slightly ajar as she stared down at the twenty dollar bill in her hand.

Julian hadn't taken his money for the pizza.


	3. Chapter 3

Haley gripped the microphone before her, the melody of her latest single flooding the small stereo space. The raw acoustic and the gentle piano symphony seemed to possess Haley's body and she let the words flow out of her mouth harmonically. After weeks of procrastination, Haley had finally made her way back into the studio … to record her own stuff. She had given her employees the day off and had decided to try and see what she could muster up on her own; she worked better that way. And, Haley's actions seemed to be paying off.

She was now six hours older and two songs closer to her finished comeback album.

Haley's latest song was unlike any other she had written; her songs usually revolved around being in love and falling out of it, overcoming obstacles or stumbling over them. However, this time, Haley had sought out inspiration in one of the most surprising places …

Julian.

She had only met the stranger that one time but his mysteriousness and his friendly manner was enough to intrigue Haley. Julian gave of this troubled yet heroic vibe that had allowed Haley to just write and write and write … Her newest song was about needing a hero and becoming it yourself. Haley had written about being on the outside looking in, she had written about experiencing difficulties and pushing them aside to become a better you. It was a song about empowerment and struggle and willpower and as of now, it was Haley's favourite of the album.

With a finishing note that reflected her vocal range, Haley threw her lengthy locks backwards as if she were actually on stage, giving her non-existent audience a silent bow of thanks. It was such a rush … performing but, Haley missed this … enjoying music for what it was – raw, pure emotion. She was in love with this feeling … this ability to let loose and be who she wanted to be within enclosed walls. There was nobody judging her or nobody to please. It was just Haley and her music. Alone. But, Haley recognised the time and she knew it was way past Jamie's bedtime so, with one last glance at the quaint recording studio, Haley made her way to Skills' apartment.

Skills was always the first person Haley called when Jamie needed to be taken care of. As selfish as it sounded, Haley couldn't bear to let anybody – other than her friends – get close to Jamie because she was scared she would hear those dreaded words again. _"I wish Nanny Carrie was my mom." _It had killed Haley's insides when her own son had expressed his hatred towards her and despite how strong she seemed, Haley knew she wouldn't be able to handle such a thing again. It helped knowing Skills was always happy to be of service.

"Momma, hey," As Haley walked through the door, she found Mouth and Jamie sitting side by side at the breakfast island. Both boys simultaneously sipped at their chocolate milk, their sips even lasting the same length of time. Haley laughed as their heads bobbed down to their cartons and their shoulders straightened as they gulped.

"Hey, sweetie," Haley kissed Jamie's head and hugged Mouth quickly. "You ready to head home?" This time, Jamie broke his and Mouth's symmetrical sipping routine by drinking his last final mouthfuls in one go. The straw slurped at the bottom of the empty carton and Jamie clumsily wiped at his lips with the back of his sleeve before jumping off his stool. Haley thanked Mouth and Skills for looking after Jamie before taking him home.

"Did you get your music done today?" Jamie asked once he was finished rambling about yet another _boring day at school! _Haley shook her head; Jamie obviously hadn't inherited her love and interest for school.

"I did," Haley jumped out of the car to let Jamie out. She carefully undid his special car seat before letting him hurtle out of the car and towards the front door. Haley noticed how jittery he was and she silently cursed at Mouth for giving him chocolate milk before bedtime; it would take him hours to fall asleep now. "And, you'll get to hear all about it tomorrow … Right now, I want you upstairs in your pyjamas, brushing your teeth." Haley hit Jamie's backside playfully before sending him on his way up the stairs. Jamie's little feet skid against the wooden floorboards and she watched as he raced down the corridor with lightning speed; he was definitely Nathan Scott's son.

"Haley?" A voice called and Haley jumped in retaliation, her keys dropping from her hands in fright. "You scared me, where have you been?" Haley saw him standing in the doorway, her heart racing erratically within her chest. His raven black hair was damp, as if he had just had a shower, and the strikingly dark colour juxtaposed the sea blue in his eyes, accentuating them even more. A pair of pyjama bottoms sat low upon his hips and a white camisole covered his chest. The white material stretched over his protruding muscles, giving Haley an insight of the beautiful body underneath.

"Nathan?" Haley whispered as if to make sure he was actually there. After not communicating for about a week, Haley wasn't aware of Nathan's schedule therefore making it impossible for her anticipate when he was going to be home next. "Nathan!" His presence was so alluring to her and Haley couldn't resist the run-up she did before letting herself pounce into his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck. Nathan's musky, all most sweaty natural scent enveloped Haley's senses and she buried her face into his neck; her nose pressing against his pulse point. The two stood, wrapped in one another for what felt like a well-deserved eternity.

"Hales, it's late … is everything okay? I got so worried," Nathan's hands rested against Haley's upper thighs, holding her right up to him. Neither of them wanted to let go so, Nathan carried his wife to the kitchen, resting her upon the counter top, his arms still tight around her petite frame. Haley adjusted her backside against the hard marble, her thighs subconsciously squeezing Nathan's waist tighter. "When you and Jamie weren't here … I … I-"

"Yeah, I was in the studio and lost track of time, that's all." Haley glanced at the clock and realised just how late it was. She had left the studio at half nine but getting to Skills' and back had taken just under an hour. "I didn't realise it hadn't gotten so late."

"God, you could have at least picked up your phone … I've been losing my mind here." Nathan finally took Haley's mouth captive. It came as a surprise to Haley and she flinched backwards before letting Nathan take her into a world of simplistic bliss. His chapped lips enveloped hers and she sighed at the addictive feeling. She had missed this, missed him. Haley let herself grow limp against Nathan, their tongues tangling in a gentle yet tantalising dance. It was exhilarating to know that, even after all of these years, Haley still felt butterflies swarm in her stomach whenever Nathan kissed her. He made her feel like a teenager again.

As the kiss progressed into something slightly more heated, Haley could find herself running out of breathe. A sort of compression feeling began to build impatiently upon her chest and she pushed Nathan away to rest her forehead against his; inhaling deeply. The two gasped for air, their chests heaving up and down as oxygen filled them. "Just call next time; I want to know you're okay."

"I was at the studio working, Nate, and Jamie was with Skills." Haley suddenly pulled away from Nathan.

"I know that but, I was worried … I just wanted to know where you were and-"

"You're worrying now?" Haley scoffed.

"I'm your husband, of course I worry-"

"Nathan, you leave Jamie and me here alone for the majority of the year, we can't call you every time we walk out the door." Haley wasn't sure where this angry, mean streak was coming from but … it was most definitely present. The more cynical side to Haley was bewildered that Nathan would even question her whereabouts when he hadn't even bothered to call her for the past seven days. Haley felt the silent yet overbearing presence of a double standard and she didn't like it in the slightest. "You don't call, don't write, don't say goodbye. Do you have any idea what that's like?"

"Of course I do, baby," Nathan knew he was giving Haley the shorter end of the stick but, this was everything he had hoped for. All Nathan wanted to do was play basketball and be able to provide for his family; he was doing that. Dante's existence had been enough to shake Nathan into becoming the man he knew he needed to become. Seeing Haley thrown across the pavement was an image that was permanently imprinted in Nathan's brain and he didn't want to see that again, ever. Nathan didn't want to have to borrow money of some sleazy gambler in order to feed his family … it was what made the NBA even more appealing. Nathan was rich and playing the game he loved. "It kills me not to be around you and Jamie."

"Really?" Haley jumped off the counter and stormed towards a drawer. She aggressively yanked it open and emptied the contents on top of the table, the items flying in all different directions. Nathan's eyebrows frowned together as he watched Haley move about frantically. "This is enough evidence to suggest otherwise." Using her index finger, Haley ushered towards the front page of a magazine cover. She had secretly spent the past week collecting every magazine or every newspaper that had _NBA's newest bachelor, Nathan Scott _on the cover. The gossip magazine she was currently holding was one that described Nathan's run in with some model at Clay's condo. It also happened to be the night of Jamie's basketball game.

"You know none of this is true," Nathan grabbed the cover from Haley's grip, tearing it instantly. He began scooping up everything on the counter in his arms, throwing them back into the drawer so he wouldn't have to face the absurd stories that were circulating. "It's all publicity … my PR is just trying to create speculation within the media, that's it. None of it means anything."

"It may mean nothing to you or to them but," Haley snatched a magazine back. The scene could all most pass as comical to some; Nathan and Haley looked like children arguing over the newest toy in the box. "Can you try and rationally explain this to a six year old?" Haley couldn't bring herself to look at this particular cover, she had spent hours staring at it earlier and it seemed to torture her soul every time she looked at it. "Do you know how confused Jamie is when he sees all this stuff? His friends are constantly talking about it at school and … he has no idea what to say because he doesn't understand! He doesn't understand where you are or why you're not here or why we are no longer Scott's-"

"You'll always be Scott's-"

"But we're not though, Nathan. I am Haley James again and Jamie's just James Lucas," Nathan felt like he had been sucker punched, hearing Haley and Jamie's full name was enough to make Nathan revaluate whether his dream was worth it. Through thick and thin Haley had refused to drop the Scott from her name … it was hard to hear that she had had to because of Nathan's all-American dream.

"I'm sorry … so sorry." Nathan pleaded, unsure of what to do in such a situation. Nathan was stuck in this crazy whirlwind with no sense of direction; on one side was his career and on the other was his family. He was conflicted and he hated that all of this was taking such a large toll on the people that he loved the most.

"You shouldn't be apologising to me, Nathan," Haley just shook her head dismissively, the inner strength within her urging her not to cry. "You should be apologising to Jamie. Did you know he won his first basketball game the other night?" Nathan's face lit up with a smile that could outshine any fireworks display. "Oh right, you wouldn't know because you weren't there … you promised you'd be there and, you weren't. All he wanted to do was make his dad proud and you couldn't even spare an hour to be there for him." Just as soon as Nathan's smile appeared, it disappeared.

"Momma!" The sound of Jamie's tiny feet slapping against hardwood echoed throughout the thick silence evident between Nathan and Haley. Haley turned her whole body away from Nathan's to glance at the doorway which was now accommodating to Jamie's small yet growing frame. He was – as instructed – in his pyjamas. It had only been a week but Nathan noticed how much Jamie had grown. He was now at that awkward age of growth and Nathan was missing it all.

"Hey, buddy," Nathan let his eyes linger upon Haley before settling upon his son. "I missed you," Unlike Haley, Jamie hadn't given Nathan a run-up hug, in fact, Jamie stood with his feet glued to the floor; his eyes also. "Want me to tuck you in?"

"No," Jamie shook his head, his lengthy blonde hair swaying with him. "I want mom to do it." His baby blue eyes were glazed over as if Nathan was invisible and Nathan felt his heart start to crack – slowly but surely.

Nathan _always_ tucked Jamie in …

"Time changes things," Haley whispered as she walked Nathan, her voice sending cold chills through his spine. "It changes people."


	4. Chapter 4

"Jamie asleep?" Haley had finished tucking Jamie in. After a few pages from his bedtime book, he had fallen into a carefree slumber and Haley found herself entranced by the innocent aura that surrounded him. He was so young yet he had suffered so much. It made Haley feel bad for him. He didn't deserve that. Jamie deserved to be a child; careless and reckless and imaginative. Yet, he had been thrust into situations that many adults couldn't even survive. It made Haley question her own strength.

She wish she could be as strong as Jamie was.

"Yeah, he's out cold." Haley mumbled to Nathan, making her way to her side of the bed. She monotonously undid the duvet and the sheet, fluffing up her pillow just like she liked it. Nathan noticed her robotic like movements and he scooted closer over towards her, desperately trying to repair the interaction he had had with Haley earlier. He had to leave for his next game in Chicago tomorrow night and he wasn't going to leave Haley like he had the last time. Haley deserved better and Nathan was determined to be that better version of him – _for her. _"Nathan." Haley let out a breathy sigh as he placed his hand against her thigh. It was late and honestly speaking, Haley was tired.

Of everything.

"I'm sorry, Haley," Nathan's mouth was pressed close to Haley's ear, his minty breathe fanning across her face. Small wisps of her hair blew majestically and Nathan, like always, was mesmerised by his wife's natural beauty. She wasn't even looking at him but Nathan felt enthralled by the simplicity of her: the calmness in her mocha eyes, the crimson tint to her cheeks, and the exaggeration of her cheekbones. She was perfect. "I … I don't want things to be like this. I don't want this for you, babe, but … it is what it is and I am sorry for that-"

"I don't want you to apologise for living your dream, Nate," Haley tried to scoot away from Nathan but his arms flew out, as if it were a reflex, trapping her against his side. Dropping her forehead against his bulky arm, Haley spoke again. "I want you to apologise for leaving the way that you did, for not even trying to explain any of this to Jamie, for not turning up to his game-"

"God, I feel terrible for letting him down the way that I did." And, Nathan did - feel terrible. "I wish I could have been there."

Nathan didn't want to be Dan Scott. It was the one thing that had had him freaked when Haley was pregnant with Jamie. Dan and Deb Scott weren't exactly cereal box parents and Nathan was absolutely frightened that he would follow in their footsteps. And, for a fraction of time, Nathan had done just that. After his bar accident, Nathan had blocked out Haley and Jamie and had spent four whole months sulking. He had drunk too much and he had watched his family slip out of his fingers. The similarities – at the time – between Dan and Nathan were uncanny.

Nathan didn't want to be in such a dark place again.

"I know that," Haley rubbed at Nathan's arm leisurely. "But, Jamie doesn't know that. Nobody outside of Tree Hill knows that." Nathan internally groaned; it always came back to this … the fact that Haley and Jamie were being kept in the dark from the media. Nathan knew how his wife felt about the whole ordeal and he didn't want to argue with her, not tonight. He had too much to apologise for first.

"I am _so proud_ to call him _my son_." Nathan answered honestly. Jamie was a fantastic basketball player and Nathan was grateful that Skills and Lucas had taught Jamie most of what he knew.

"Shall I tell you what's worst, the morning after his game, Jamie turned on the TV and there you were, your face was plastered across the news; videos of you walking out of Clay's beach house, pictures of you partying." Haley let out a dry chuckle, her mind drifting back to that moment. "How are you meant to explain that to a child? How do you tell him that his father's in town and he didn't even bother to call? How do you tell _your_ child that his father broke a promise so that he could have a few beers and listen to some tacky house music-"

"Haley!" Nathan pleaded, not wanting to hear any of what she was telling him. He didn't want to hear any of it because … he knew she was right. "I am so, so sorry," Nathan leaned in slowly, placing an open-mouthed kiss against Haley's collarbone. "Please forgive me," Haley felt her breathing hitch abruptly in her throat. Nathan hadn't shaved today and the stubble on his cheek brushed erotically against the fleshy skin on her throat. "Forgive me." His kisses began to travel across her exposed skin; from her forearm to her shoulder to her collar before making its stop at her neck. Subconsciously, Haley's held fell backwards against the headboard, giving Nathan a wider range of access to her skin.

Slowly, tantalisingly, Nathan flicked his tongue out, licking his way up to Haley's hesitant lips. Nathan purposefully stopped a few centimetres away from her, the tips of their noses brushing against each other as they inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Please," Nathan inched even closer. He was so close; Haley could smell his natural musk and the flavouring to his mouth wash. It was weird because the scent seemed to have Haley plummeting back to a time when Nathan and her had just started dating – _the honeymoon phase. _Haley remembered feeling giddy and rebellious every time Nathan dragged her into the janitor's closet at school just so that they could covertly kiss. She remembered the way her heart pounded crazily in her chest and she remembered feeling like the most clichéd teenage girl in the world. She also felt like that now. "Forgive." Nathan placed his hands on either side of Haley's slim figure. "Me." As if an animal had suddenly taken possession of her body, Haley grabbed at either side of Nathan's face and pulled him towards her. Their mouths met in a violent, passion filled kiss that seemed to stop time.

"Nathan." A breathless moan slipped through Haley's now swollen lips.

There was just something so magical about his touch … it sent sparks straight through Haley. All of her worries dissolved and an unexpected calmness seemed to filter into her body. Everybody in the world froze, the monotone living room clock stopped ticking, Jamie stopped snoring … everything was still and good and simple.

She was at home,_ truly at home_.

"God, I love you." Nathan pecked Haley's lips gently, his hands delving into her thick locks of hair. The pads of his thumbs rubbed at Haley's scalp and she leaned into his touch. Nathan pulled his knees up to his chest and cradled Haley in his lap. Her small frame perched itself on top of him and he swayed her body from left to right absentmindedly. It was as if she was a child and he was the parent, trying to comfort her over a trivial matter. The two sat in absolute silence for minutes, relishing in the feeling of each other. Haley's eyes fluttered closed, her ears straining to focus on the rhythmic thumping of Nathan's heart. The continuous beating was oddly relaxing and Haley found herself drifting … closer and closer towards blissful sleep. "I don't want to leave tomorrow."

She was now wide awake.

"What?" Haley rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, her gaze focusing on Nathan in a scrutinising manner.

"I'm, leaving, tomorrow." Nathan paused between each word like a Haley was a child that was unable to comprehend what he was saying. "We're playing in Chicago tomorrow-"

"You're leaving already?" Haley's first reaction was anger. She wanted to be angry at Nathan for leaving yet again. The mental image of Jamie realising Nathan was gone again was enough to make Haley see red. Whether Nathan was Jamie's father or not, Haley's maternal instinct kicked into full force at the thought of somebody hurting her son. She wanted to throw something or break something but, she knew she couldn't. Haley couldn't be angry at Nathan for doing what he loved. She had done a similar thing by leaving him to go on tour when she was sixteen. Going on tour had been one of the greatest moments in her life and Haley knew playing basketball – league basketball – was Nathan's tour. It was his stage. He deserved to be happy, whether that was with or without her.

Haley's next reaction was sadness. Just as quick as her reconciliation with Nathan had occurred it was going to disappear. It was going to disappear just like he was. A deep sinking feeling filled Haley's gut and she felt the briny tears spring to her eyes; she didn't hold them back. She cried. She pushed Nathan away and cried. Her head fell into her knees and her whole body shook and Nathan stared at her helplessly. Like earlier, every time he reached for her … she pushed him away. She _had _to keep pushing him away … pushing people away was the easiest – and most cowardly – way to stop yourself from getting hurt again. "I … I can't do this, Nate." Haley chocked out between sobs. "I can't-"

"You can't do what?" Haley got up from the bed, her hands clutching her feather-like pillow to her chest.

"I'm sorry … I can't." Haley made her way downstairs and Nathan couldn't muster the physical or emotional strength to follow her.

Once downstairs, Haley threw her body against the couch. The usually comfortable sofa felt hard and uncomfortable and her body tossed and turned as she prayed for sleep to consume her.

After hours and hours of twisting and fidgeting and kicking and yawning, it finally came. Darkness finally welcomed her with open arms. But, just like Nathan, the darkness left as quickly as it came and Haley was awoken by a blinding yellow light – the light of a new day, an awfully cheery day.

"Are you okay?" Lucas rubbed Haley's back gingerly, his touch sending warmth up her freezing cold skin. "Jesus, Hales, you're freezing." Lucas' hand practically snapped back away from Haley as if he had been electrocuted. Haley was currently lying upon her couch in a pair of cropped sweatpants and a tank top. Despite the raging heat in Tree Hill, Haley's already pale skin seemed to look even more so; like somebody had sucked the light out of her. She didn't look healthy in the slightest. She looked frail and skinny and Lucas couldn't help but feel his paternal instinct rise at the sight of Haley in such a state.

"Can you turn the heater on, please?" Lucas grabbed a blanket from beside her, draping it flimsily across her body. Haley's voice was shaky and her body trembled lightly as she hugged the blanket as if it were her life line.

"Haley, it's boiling in here." A thin strip of perspiration had formed upon Lucas' upper lip and he stared down at Haley with a worried expression. "How about this, you stay down here and I'll go grab you some warmer clothes, okay?" Lucas didn't even wait for an answer; he smiled meekly at his best friend before proceeding upstairs. However, Lucas was around long enough to hear a gentle, _thank you_, escape Haley's lips. Lucas smiled before knocking on the master bedroom door gently. "Nate?" Lucas asked warily. "You in here?"

"Yeah, come on in." Lucas stuck his head around the door to find Nathan towel drying his hair before the salon mirror. Black bags were visible under Nathan's eyes and Lucas pat his back in a brotherly manner before collapsing onto the heavenly soft mattress. Lucas' body bounced upwards and downwards before it settled into a comfortable position. "What's up?" Nathan threaded his bulky arms into his camisole with a nonchalant flare to him and Lucas had the urge to send his fist flying into the back of Nathan's head.

"Are you serious, man?" Lucas rested the side of his head on his hand, his whole body turned so that it was facing Nathan. "Have you not seen what Haley looks like?" Nathan turned in his seat dramatically; his movement was slow and rigid and Luke could all most feel his internal clock tick.

"I know she's upset, God, so am I but … after everything that's happened, I'm not willing to let go of my dream just yet-" Nathan ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Lucas all most felt bad for his half-brother. After the bar brawl that had injured his spine, the psycho nanny, his wife asking for a divorce, his son being kidnapped and saved by their murderer of a father; Nathan had been through enough to put a sane person in a mental institution. But, Haley had gone through equally as much as by Nathan's side and this whole scenario wasn't fair to either her or Jamie.

"I'm not talking about the Bobcats deal," Lucas wanted to tell Nathan that he was an idiot for leaving Haley alone but right now, he had bigger, more important fish to fry. "I'm talking about Haley's health – it's not normal for her to look the way that she does-"

"Look the way that she does? What are you talking about?" Nathan's eyebrows frowned together to form one line and ironically enough, Lucas' did the exact the same thing. Had Nathan not laid eyes on his wife today? Lucas had no college degree but, he was smart enough to see that Haley needed to see a doctor.

"She looks like walking death, Nate," Lucas wasn't even going to sugar coat it, not when it came to Haley and her wellbeing. "The girl's running a body temperature of at least sixty Fahrenheit and there is absolutely no colour in her skin; do you know how dangerous that is? Did you not even consider taking her to the hospital?"

"Haley didn't even sleep in here; I haven't seen her since last night." Nathan face-palmed. His thumb pads rubbed at his lazy eyes, trying to drive away the restlessness present within him. The truth was, Nathan hadn't been sleeping properly. Nathan's nights usually consisted of a lot of feverish tossing and turning and yearning for Haley – his family. Last night had been no different. Nathan was at home yet thousands of miles away from it. His home wasn't home without the Haley and Jamie he knew and loved. "We got into a little argument last night and she didn't come in here … I just figured she'd fallen asleep with Jamie. I wanted to give her the space she wanted so-"

"You didn't check on her?" Lucas knew the answer to his own question but Nathan's guilty reaction was solid confirmation. "Nathan, she spends all of her time alone, she gets more space than she bargained for! Listen, I know it isn't my place to say anything but … this isn't healthy, not for you, her, or Jamie."

"I … I don't know what to do, Luke. I'm just tired of failing. " Raw emotion was dripping from Nathan's voice. He sounded like the mixed up teenage boy that Lucas once despised; confused and broken and lonely. "Do you remember when Haley was pregnant with Jamie?" Lucas simply nodded in agreement. "We didn't really tell anyone but, we were having serious money problems: our lights were being turned off, we didn't have hot water and Haley had to eat chocolate chips for breakfast. We were scrounging of the bare minimums; it was why I was messing with Dante … I was trying to give Haley the life she deserved."

"Nate-"

"And, when I saw her lying on the floor the night of the championship, blood dripping from her head, her hands clutching her stomach … it scared me to death. I thought I had lost her … lost our son. Haley's always been my life, Jamie too and everything I've ever done was for this family, _my_ family. After my paralysis accident I went on this downward spiral and I broke Haley … She was struggling to pay bills and go to work and look after Jamie-" Nathan's voice cracked and Lucas moved closer to him, as if his presence would somehow comfort him. It didn't. "I don't want that for Haley again. You've seen her, Lucas; you've grown up with her. She's every guy's dream; smart, beautiful, talented. Sometimes, I just feel like I'm going to lose her. Sometimes, this all just feels like a dream that's too good to be true."

"You're not losing Haley, Nathan," Lucas put a heavy hand to Nathan's shoulder. "You're driving her away." Before the tension in the room grew anymore thicker, the high pitched doorbell rang throughout the house, summoning both Nathan and Lucas downstairs; Jamie also.

Lucas couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth tilt upwards at the baseball in Jamie's hands whereas Nathan couldn't stop staring at it in confusion. Jamie enjoyed basketball, didn't he? From what Nathan knew, Jamie always wanted to follow in his footsteps: join the Ravens, play varsity and then progress to the NBA. Nathan didn't realise Jamie had an interest basketball. Actually, Nathan didn't know much about Jamie's hobbies or his interests outside of the fact that he played basketball and video games with Skills.

"Did we actually order that pizza?" Jamie asked Lucas, his eyebrows frowned together rather adorably.

"No, I thought it was just discussed." Lucas and Jamie – and Haley – spent their Friday nights together. Usually, Nathan spent his time in the gym or previously, practising with the Chiefs, so, the rest of the Scott clan rented a movie and ate as much greasy food as scientifically possible. Today was no exception. However, neither Luke nor Jamie had had their traditional _I-want-Hawaiian-but-I-want-plain-cheese_ argument.

Lucas draped an arm around Jamie's shoulders – Nathan following – and progressed towards the living room. Not as expected, the couch was empty when Lucas looked down at it. Haley's cashmere blanket was clumsily thrown onto the floor and the cushions were dishevelled, here and there. Due to the state Haley was in early, Lucas was startled that she had managed to move everything around as much as she had … let alone get up to answer the door. "Haley?"

"Hales?" Nathan took in the sight of a worried Lucas and he realised he was obliged to be too. Lucas wasn't the type of person to worry for no reason and that was enough to make Nathan worry _about_ Haley … his _relationship_ with Haley.

As the trio turned the bend towards the front door, the first thing they noticed was an edible pizza thrown across the floor. Streaks of tomato and stringy cheese were strewn across the oak floorboards and the overwhelming smell was strong and sweltering in the prominent heat. "What in the-?"

The next thing the trio saw was even more surprising than a perfectly good pizza wasted. Simultaneous gasps escaped each of their mouths, neither one of them sure how to comprehend the situation before them. Nathan felt his heart stop within his chest and Jamie's eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets … Lucas, Lucas felt guilt swarm violently within him – he shouldn't have left Haley alone. The pizza man was kneeling at the door, his cap shielding his face; his arms outstretched, Haley lying limply in them. His hand was cupping her cheek whilst the other tried to shake her body awake.

She wasn't moving.

"Somebody help!" The pizza man's deep voice yelled for assistance but he suddenly noticed the added presences in the room and jumped, startled. He looked up from a long row of eyelashes, absolute fright evident in his green eyes. "Call nine-one-one, she's … she's … I'm not sure if she's breathing." His voice was full of panic and it was enough to set Nathan into action. Nathan lurched from his standing position, pushing Lucas aside dismissively before crouching down beside Haley's lifeless body. Nathan selfishly – and he didn't seem to care – grabbed Haley out of the stranger's arms, his briny tears dropping straight from his eyes and onto Haley's eerily blue face.

"Haley, baby, Haley," Nathan repeated the mantra as he tried to instigate some kind of reaction from her body. He placed a warm hand to her chest, the soft feeling of her heartbeat pulsated through his hand and he let out a sigh of relief. "She's breathing." He said to nobody in particular.

"Nathan," Lucas' voice carried an all most warning tone to it and Nathan snapped his eyes upwards. "Her … her legs." Pain raced through Nathan's veins, his eyes descending to Haley's exposed legs … But, they weren't bare anymore. They were covered.

Her legs were covered in blood.


	5. Chapter 5

Tree Hill stopped. The whole town froze over with an unsettling silence that not even Haley's slicing screams could break. No creature moved, no clock ticked, no cry echoed, no child laughed – everything had come to an absolute stand still. Everybody had stopped to mourn the news that Haley had just received.

The doctor's words filled the room like a fiery smoke. The smoke had the same effect as the pain that was due to win its fight against Haley's already weak body. She looked at the doctor, his penetrating stare magnifying to an unreasonable resolution because of the wide-rimmed glasses he was wearing. He took them off as he told her. Was it protocol for doctor's to remove their spectacles when they had devastatingly depressing news to deliver?

"I know how you feel…" The doctor wistfully moved towards the window. Up ten storeys high, the claustrophobically small room looked out upon the whole of Tree Hill. From where she lay, Haley could see the place she had grown up in: the River Court, Tree Hill High, Karen's café, Tric – it all felt so foreign to her.

So much simpler.

"You do? Please, tell me … how do I feel?" The doctor remained silent. He didn't know she felt … _nobody did_. The silence thickened the air like a blanket that was smothering Haley, tighter and tighter, until it felt like a weight had settled upon her chest. Her face must have been showing some of her discomfort as the doctor turned around and seated himself next to her, asking if she was alright, asking if she needed anything.

Darkness consumed Haley.

She was now in a place that she remembered distinctly. It was an open field with fully blooming purple flowers and fresh sea water. She remembered when this was; her wedding day. Back when she was much younger and dare she say, wiser. It was clearly early summer, the sun was shining but it didn't feel as hot as it should have. Her white dress blew majestically in the gentle wind and similarly, a breeze strolled through Nathan's hair. His raven hair and his matching tuxedo made him look older, more mature. It made him look like a man and it made Haley feel like a woman, she felt like a wife. The strum of an acoustic guitar filled the surroundings and the soft and beautiful voice of a raspy male accompanied the slow tide of the waves, intertwining their melodies into one. The harmonious music was a mirror reflection of the love Nathan and Haley had for each other in that one moment. Was it clear from their joy-filled voices or from the way that they held each other and smiled? It felt like yesterday to Haley. Just yesterday when she and Nathan had planned on marrying, bought their first house, had Jamie … it all seemed like it had only just happened.

Haley felt sixteen again, and then seventeen, then eighteen, nineteen, twenty – she was now twenty five.

Haley's hazel eyes snapped open.

"How are you feeling?" The doctor was sitting rather close beside Haley's bed, his face peering curiously down at hers. "Here, drink this." The doctor passed her a glass of water before continuing with what he was saying. "You passed out, it's normal in a situation like this." The doctor's voice muffled out in an annoying buzz that Haley wasn't listening to. Her mind was still fresh and alert from what she had just seen. This dream, this idyll which she had just remembered lingered in her mind and she wanted it to stay for as long as she could keep it, before it too, like Nathan, disappeared from her life. This reminisce of one of the happiest days of her life was an evident enough indication to how thick the wedge between Haley and Nathan's relationship had become; how they were practically strangers now.

Strangers in love.

"Normal?" Haley couldn't help but let the scoff fly from her lips and the tears slip from her eyes. "I don't feel normal." Sloppily, Haley brushed away the tears from her face. Suddenly, she realised how hollow her cheeks felt and it only made the tears fall faster. "This isn't normal." The doctor nodded in an assuring manner. He was an elderly man and from his calm and collected demeanour, Haley knew he experienced things like this frequently. It was all most like second nature to him. It was then that Haley noticed that this man was _truly_ responsible for many lives … and many deaths. He had witnessed the light in somebody's eyes go out and he had watched as a new life was created. "Can I ask you a question, doctor?"

"Of course," He answered simply, his small mop of grey hair twinkling under the light of the white-washed walls. "What is it that you would like to know?"

"What is it like?" Haley asked cryptically. From the look of sheer confusion on the male's face, she elaborated. "Letting somebody go?"

"Letting someone go?" The doctor sighed leisurely, trying to come up with an answer that he knew Haley wanted to hear. After what she had just experienced, the doctor felt as if it was his duty to ensure that Haley was comforted in all areas. It took him a few minutes but, he finally realised what Haley wanted to hear - the truth. "It's the hardest thing in the world." Haley smiled lightly, acknowledging the man's honestly. She bopped her head, urging him to continue. "Losing somebody you love leaves you empty and alone but, watching other people lose somebody that they love is equally as heart-breaking. For a fraction of a second, you experience the pain that they feel … you witness the last embers of their hope burn out and it makes you realise that life … life is a gift." The doctor glanced down at the glimmering wedding band on his finger. "Relationships are precious and … we never truly appreciate that until it's gone. We never tell our loved ones how much they truly mean to us and then, it's too late."

"I'm sure your wife knows how much you love her." Haley pointed to the doctor's left hand with a tinge of happiness in her voice.

Her happiness disappeared as quickly as it arrived.

"My wife is dead, she died a few years ago," Before Haley could apologise, the doctor lifted his palm up to prevent her from speaking. From the look on his face, Haley knew he didn't want her sympathy. He wanted something more, he wanted Haley to learn from what he was saying. "And, I regret it, every day, I regret not telling her how beautiful she was or how happy she made me or how complete my life was when she came into it. Don't make my mistakes, Haley James," The doctor rested his hand against Haley's wrist, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Be grateful for what you have."

"Thank you, doctor," Haley gave his hand a squeeze back before letting her gaze drift to the door. "Am I allowed to see my family?"

"Of course, dear, you see your family and then we'll get you prepped and cleaned," The doctor stood up slowly. "And, Haley, I am really sorry." The doctor's voice was gentle and soothing but as soon as he left Haley finally noticed - her legs were covered in red.

Her blood had dried and had formed a clotted crimson colour that swivelled around her legs like ivy on a tombstone. The blood was a physical reminder of what she had just discovered … It was a grimly grotesque sight and Haley cupped her mouth as a scream escaped it. The screams grew louder and louder as the iron-like smell of blood drifted further and further up her nose. Oatmeal tossed within Haley's stomach and she clutched her stomach desperately, praying for the violent churning to stop.

"Haley!" His voice emanated throughout the room, ringing and vibrating and echoing between the four enclosed walls. Panic was evidently clear in his tone and Haley's puffy eyes snapped upwards. His breathing stopped. Her heart broke. Her breathing stopped. His heart broke. "Hales," Nathan stood still for a moment, his own tears forming at the state of his distressed wife. "Haley, oh God, Haley-" Before the contents of Haley's breakfast could spill across the bed, Nathan raced to the trashcan, skilfully placing it under her chin as she threw up. One hand rested against her back whilst the other held the metal bin in place. Some would have found the scene cringe worthy, Nathan, on the other hand, was grateful that Haley was letting him anywhere near him after the disputes they had been having lately. He was relishing in the feeling of her, being with her, appreciating her. "It's okay, I'm here, I'm here." Nathan's hands drifted under Haley's hospital gown, his fingers drumming intricate patterns into her hollow skin. Sweet nothings were whispered into Haley's ear comfortingly until she was done vomiting. Her throat screeched and she clung to Nathan's wrist tightly, silently begging for the pain to stop. "It'll be okay, baby, I promise."

"It's not okay." After minutes of silence, Haley spoke again. "Did the doctor tell you what happened?"

"No," Nathan shook his head. He placed the fluid-filled trashcan on the floor before settling beside Haley's half-seated half-lying figure. Attentively, he fluffed at her pillows and fussed over her blanket; he was doing everything he could to make her feel better. "He thought it would be best if you told me … Hales, why, why didn't you talk to me about feeling ill? You know you can talk to me about anything." Guilt settled within Nathan – this was _his fault_. He had done this to her and for that; he would never be able to forgive himself. "No basketball team is worth losing you … Basketball is just a game, you and Jamie are my life."

"Basketball isn't just a game, Nathan," Haley intertwined her fingers with Nathan's. She had purposefully grasped his left hand with hers; their wedding rings hitting together to make a soft tinkle sound. "It's much more than that to _you_ – it's all you've ever known." Haley smiled genuinely. Nathan and basketball was like Lucas and his literature, seeing their eyes light up whilst reading or playing was one of the most beautiful sights in the world. "It's your dream and I'm not going to let you give that up."

"Give up my dream? I could never give up my dream because, she's sitting right next to me and, I'm never letting her go." Nathan said with hints of laughter in his voice.

"I'm serious, Nate," Haley's thumb absentmindedly brushed the back of Nathan's hand. "I love you too much to let you give up now, not when you've come this far," Haley audibly gulped, her eyelashes fluttering together as she closed her eyes. "I … I want a divorce."

"What?" Nathan wasn't sure if he'd heard her right; his whole body retracting away from Haley's as if she had suddenly just electrocuted him. He pounced onto his feet and stared down at Haley ludicrously.

"I want a divorce," Haley could feel her heart crumbling within her. It was as if somebody was continuously driving a stake through her, puncturing and puncturing and puncturing – she was being shown no mercy. "I'm just going to hold you back-"

"You're … you're not serious!" Where was her preposterous outbreak coming from? It was then when Nathan remembered where they were – the hospital. "What's happening? What did the doctor say?" Haley didn't respond at first. "What did he say, Haley?" This time Nathan's voice was sterner, stricter – scary.

"I'm pregnant."

"What?" Again, Nathan wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly. One of the biggest smiles ignited his face and he fell to the floor, his knees smacking against the marble flooring. "Haley, we're … we're pregnant! That's great news … I'm … You … We're … We're having another baby." Nathan's rambling stopped when he saw the look upon Haley's face. "Are you … Do you not want another child-"

"Ectopic pregnancy, it's what I have." Haley's ambiguity was bothering Nate and he stared at her with big eyes, ushering her to speak to him properly. "It's when the fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb. Our baby is growing in my fallopian tube and -" Nathan was now back in the position he was in early: holding Haley's hand and sitting on her bed. Being that he hadn't graduated high school with flying colours, all that Haley was saying to him sounded like gibberish. However, from her reaction Nathan knew enough to know that what she was saying wasn't positive.

"I'm … I'll go get the doctor." Nathan knew that was the most effective way for him to make sense of this current situation and he pressed the _assistance needed _button. The doctor followed within seconds. "Utopic pregnancy … what … what is that?" Nathan swung his arm around Haley's shoulders, pulling her right up against his side. Her nose pressed against his chest and once again, the tears flew freely.

"An ectopic pregnancy," The doctor corrected, his eyes lingering against the unfortunate couple. "It's when the fertilised egg implants itself-"

"In English, please." Nathan begged urgently.

"I suppose you're the father?" Just to double check, the doctor asked. Nathan simply stared at him rudely, his holding a questioning glare. During times like today, hospital staff never knew who was who and it was policy for them to ask the relationship between the patient and their visitor; the doctor was just doing his job. "Your child didn't attach itself to Haley's womb after fertilisation. That means it's not getting the sufficient supplements from the mother to survive … it also means that it's growing in her fallopian tubes – the place where Haley ovulates. As the baby grows, it'll begin to rupture Haley's tubes which could cause fatal internal bleeding-" The doctor recognised that Nathan had come to terms with Haley's condition and he stopped talking.

"What … what do we do now?"

"That's for you two to decide," The doctor looked at them pointedly. "_The lesser of two evils_ – you can either save Haley _or_ you can save your child … your three month old daughter."


	6. Chapter 6

"I lied to you," Haley looked into the depth of his eyes, her heart pounding as she tried to explain herself to him. She _needed_ him to know the truth. "And for that, I am sorry." He just looked at her, his head shaking slowly. "I … I shouldn't have lied to you-"

"Haley," His voice was raspy and croaky; a symptom of his worry and Haley's heart seemed to shatter for him. How could a practical stranger, somebody who she didn't know even know, _care_ so much? "We're not … You and I aren't … You don't have to explain yourself to me." After making his way to her at a leisurely place, he sat down beside the hospital bed. His hand reached out for hers. She took it. "We're not even friends."

"You saved my life," Haley practically chocked out. "You're not just my friend … you're more than that." Haley paused momentarily before speaking once again. "You're my hero, Julian." Haley took a hold of Julian's hand and gave it a light squeeze, thanking him silently for being there when she fell unconscious. "And, I want to thank you by telling you truth. About me, about Jamie … I lied to you when we first met and that is no way to start the basis of a friendship."

"Haley, like I said, you don't know me … you owe me no explanations." Julian just smiled faintly.

"But, I do," Haley pushed. "I do now. The doctor's said if you hadn't caught me the trauma to my head could have been disastrous … for both me and the baby." Absentmindedly, Haley rubbed at her flat stomach. "You saved my life, Julian Baker, and this is the only thing I can give to you from a hospital bed – my honesty." Julian simply nodded, understanding that this wasn't for him … Haley needed to tell him the truth for _her_. Despite not knowing her very well, Julian understood that her conscious was probably killing her for lying to him. He acknowledged that Haley was in an unfortunate situation and, the goodness within Julian wanted to do absolutely anything to relieve her of her pain. "I'm not divorced."

"I figured." Julian chuckled softly, a sudden sadness settling within him. There was no denying that he was infatuated by Haley but, it wasn't hard to believe that somebody like her was already spoken for. He felt silly for even considering something romantic with her.

"Nathan and I got married at sixteen and we've had our ups and downs but, I've always loved him," Haley's eyes glazed over as if she wasn't actually in the room. Recalling her history with Nathan was like sending her spiralling into a utopic world where she was at peace. Everything was serene and good. It was magical to witness and Julian couldn't help but feel hope tingle within him. The look in Haley's mocha eyes gave him hope: hope for love, trust, honesty … hope for his own forever and always. "I fell pregnant at seventeen and we were having money problems, Nathan and I. Nate's father wouldn't help us and my parents were on the road … we just didn't know what to do. After borrowing some money of a shady guy, Nathan got himself involved in a sticky situation which resulted in him losing his scholarship to Duke," Julian wasn't a basketball prodigy but he knew enough to know that Duke had one of the best basketball teams in the college league. "After that things kind of spiralled downwards for Nathan and basketball and, just when things started looking up, Nathan got himself into a bar brawl." The recollection of the memory was hard for Haley and she sucked in a large intake of air. "The incident paralysed him from the waist down-"

"I'm so sorry." Julian held a hand to his heart genuinely. Even though after hearing Haley's story, Julian's perception of her didn't change … she was a fighter, a fighter who had faced some of the world's toughest battles.

"Again, Nathan fought for his dream. It was hard and we, again, faced some obstacles but eventually, Nathan was Nathan again … a loving father, a good husband and a _fantastic_ sportsman. Being in the NBA has been his dream – always – and he's finally there. The Charlotte Bobcats just signed Nathan on for the next two seasons but, on one condition-" Haley inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Nathan had to pretend he wasn't a family man in front of the media. He was to become Nathan Scott, the eligible bachelor. And, in order for him to live out his dream, I let him become exactly that. Jamie and I dropped Scott from our names and … Nathan got to play the sport that he loved; it didn't seem like such a difficult deal but-"

"Nothing's that easy." Julian was beginning to form pieces of the puzzle together.

"We didn't think he'd be away for so long. Jamie's been devastated since Nathan's been on the road and, honestly, so have I," This was the first time that Haley was admitting to the fact that she wanted Nathan to stay home. She loved him and she loved him even more when he was happy but … there was a part of her that needed him with her, always. "I've always had Nathan around and having him gone is like having a large chunk of me missing, you know?" Julian didn't know. "And, it's tough because Jamie asks all of these questions and I … I don't know what to say without making Nathan look like the bad guy."

"Have you told Nathan this?" Julian, after knowing the truth, felt sorry for Haley. Haley James had been thrust into a world of negligence and confusion, one which was neither – in Julian's eyes - comprehendible or understandable. The basis of Nathan and Haley's story, no matter how complicated things got, remained the same; the two loved one another. And, nothing in the world was going to change the love the two had for one another. Julian just couldn't understand why both Haley and Nathan were beating around the bush. The answers to all of their questions was simple …if they just talked about it. "You love him, Haley, and he loves you … that's all that matters."

"But what if that's not enough?" Haley whispered, her eyes staring down at a plastic bracelet upon her wrist. The artificial piece of jewellery had obvious value to Haley because staring at it had tears forming in her eyes. The briny droplets leaked from her eyes and stained her filmy blue blouse, the subtle smell lingering faintly.

"It's always enough." Julian's voice held an underlay of pain. He had grown up in a family with a career driven father and an alcoholic mother; all that mattered to Julian was being loved. Whilst growing up, Julian had done everything in his power to get his father to notice him. He had tried to be sporty, tried to be popular, tried to get the best grades. It had gotten to the point where Julian had decided against fulfilling his dream to become a screenwriter and stayed in North Caroline to handle the family business. Yet, nothing seemed to work. Nothing was good enough for Paul Norris Baker.

Julian had never really and truly loved somebody and suddenly, he was angry. Nathan had everything in the world and he was giving it up for what, an orange ball? Fifteen minutes of fame?

Without a goodbye, Julian got up out of his seat and stormed out of the room. His boots squeaked against the bacteria-cleaned floors and passers-by winced at the high pitched noise. Julian didn't care. He was seeing red and his mind was currently only focused on one thing…

Nathan Scott.

"Listen, Clay, I can't …" Nathan was yelling into the phone and Jamie and Lucas looked at one another warily. Clay had been hammering Nathan for the past hour, neither one of them wanting to back down. "No, I don't care … Yes, surgery, she's going into surgery in about an hour-" A frustrated hand was threaded through Nathan's hair as Clay continued to ask questions about Haley and why Nathan couldn't make it to the Chicago game tonight. As Nathan battled it out with Clay on the phone, Julian made his way towards him. Julian's strides were long and purposeful and Lucas noticed the light flare in Julian's nostril. Realising that nothing good could from a flaring nostril, Lucas grabbed Julian by the shoulder before he could punch Nathan square in the nose. Julian's body shook uncontrollably under Lucas' hold and he desperately tried to calm him down. "I'll call you back, Clay … I will, yes, okay, bye." Nathan got off the phone quickly, his eyes bulging open at Julian and Lucas. "What the heck is your problem, man?"

"My problem? My problem's _you_," Julian snarled, jabbing his index finger upon Nathan's rock solid chest. Julian shoved right past Lucas and stood a few inches taller than Nathan. "You're a jackass, you know that?"

"Excuse me?" Nathan puffed out his chest, his arms folding together. After everything that Nathan had gone through today, dealing with this guy wasn't exactly on the top of his to-do-list. Nathan still didn't understand how Haley or Jamie knew Julian and it was beginning to bug him. Why hadn't Haley mentioned him before? "You don't even know me."

"You're right, I don't know you but," Julian could actually, honestly say this now, "I know Haley and what you're doing to her and to Jamie isn't right." Nathan and Julian both turned to look at Jamie who was staring at them both intently. The poor boy was so confused and Lucas knew that if he stepped away to comfort his nephew, he would end up setting Julian off on Nathan. Warmly, all three men smiled at the helplessly puzzled child.

"Hey, Jamie, why don't you go and see how your mom's doing?" Lucas suggested and Jamie agreed cheerily. He hadn't seen his mom since he had last seen her being pulled away from the house in an ambulance. There was something unsettling in that one moment, that feeling when you realise something important in your life has gone. Jamie had only ever felt such a thing when Quentin had died; at the time, Jamie had thought his mom was dying too. However, she wasn't. And, Jamie knew that now … it was the happiest he had been since the day he had gotten Chester. He was happy to know she was okay.

Once Jamie was out of hearing radius, the boys turned back to the more important matter at hand. Julian stepped closer towards Nathan, the two standing head to head. "You're a coward, you know that? You don't deserve Haley."

"So this is what this is about, you can't start your own family so you go after mine?" Just like Julian, Nathan's anger was arousing from nothingness. It went from non-existent to being at an all-time high. The way Julian had been looking at Jamie felt too intimate for Nathan's likings. Julian didn't need to care about Haley or Jamie … that was Nathan's job. "You don't know about my life or my family so I'd appreciate it if you backed off."

"What family, _Nathan Scott_?" Julian spat out. "The family that you're choosing to drive away?"

"I've done nothing to you, Julian and you walk in here like some wise-guy-know-it-all; you know nothing! What is your deal?"

"Your son can't even comprehend why you aren't around and Haley isn't even mentally strong enough to explain why. Do you know how messed up that makes you seem?" My _deal _is that you have a beautiful wife who is here, a son who is _here _and yet you're halfway across the country playing ball, having a few drinks, flirting with a few girls? Is it _really_ worth it? Is the money and the fame and the attention worth losing your family?" Julian's words settled like heavy smog. Nathan's mind began to grow stormy and an ultimatum hung before him – his family or his dream? He was at a crossroads, each road leading him to a completely different destination. He tried to chase after one but as he did, the other moved further and further into the distance. Nathan had to choose.

He had to choose now.

"You know nothing!" Nathan's eyebrows furrowed together as he spoke. His words were slow and loud and Julian awaited a violent outburst. From the redness growing in Nathan's cheeks, he was positive that Nathan would attempt to hit him. He didn't. For once in his life, Nathan walked away. He walked away for Haley. He walked _to Haley_.

From where he stood, by the doorway of her room, Nathan watched as Haley pushed away her tears. They were falling like an endless stream and his heart broke at the sight. She didn't deserve this … She didn't deserve any of this but, Nathan was determined to spend the rest of his life making up for that fact; he was going to shower her with all the love that he could muster because, it was the only thing he could do.

"I don't like it when you cry," Jamie sat on Haley's bed, his short legs dangling from the side. He reached out and threw his body against Haley's, her arms instinctively wrapping around him. The two hugged quietly, neither one of them wanting to disturb the safety they felt when together. "You look pretty when you smile." Just for the happiness of her son – like any good mother – Haley put on a fake smile. The smile didn't reach her eyes but it was enough to make Jamie feel slightly better. "It's going to be okay, momma. Everything's going to be okay." Jamie placed a gentle kiss against Haley's fleshy cheek before making his way towards Nathan. "Daddy, can I talk to you outside, please?"

"Sure, bud," Nathan looked over towards Haley. "I'll be right back, baby, I promise," Jamie just tugged at Nathan's shirt until they were away from Haley's hearing zone. "What is it, Jimmy Jam?"

"I love you-"

"I love you too." Nathan interjected, a smile blowing out across his face. This was the first time that Jamie had acknowledged him properly since he had been back in Tree Hill.

"But, I … I think you need to leave, mom alone." Jamie's words hit Nathan like a slap to the face, a rather hard slap might he add. But, Nathan didn't just feel pain in his face, he felt pain everywhere. "She's always crying … ever since you've been gone, she doesn't think I can hear her but, I can, I can hear her from my room at night and then, in the morning, she's all better again. It was like nothing ever happened. Her eyes are always puffy and scary and she's never really happy anymore," Jamie placed his hands on his hips and to some; the scene could be witnessed as being comical from afar. When, in fact, it was far from humorous. "I think it's better if you just stayed away."

"Jame, you don't mean that-"

"For mom's sake, " Jamie looked his dad right in the eyes. "I do."


	7. Chapter 7

"I … I can't do this," Haley was currently flicking through brochures, her mind hurtling in all different directions. The pictures in front of her were all too happy and too colourful; the women were all smiling and laughing. Real life was nothing like that, not every situation was sunshine and rainbows and right now, all Haley wanted was rain. She wanted to relish in a storm. "I … I can't."

"Ms James, I know this is really hard but, we have to discuss this, calmly and rationally," The doctor's voice had lowered an octave in an attempt to soothe a panicked Haley. It wasn't helping. Nothing was going to help Haley today. "If we let you carry on with this pregnancy your fallopian tubes will rupture which will cause fatal internal bleeding. There are no guaranteed chances that you and the baby will survive-"

"Well, save the baby, I … I don't care what you do … to me or anything, just make sure she's safe." Haley rubbed at her head. It was weird, she had only discovered she was pregnant a few hours ago yet, her newly ignited motherly instinct had already surfaced; there was no way Haley was going to let anything happen to her daughter. What Haley wanted no longer mattered; her _child_ came first, even if that meant sacrificing herself.

"There is no guarantee the child will make it through this either; in fact, the chances of the baby surviving are very slim. It's why you need to read these pamphlets carefully, miss. If you go into surgery today, we can save you. We can make you fit as a fiddle in no time and if you want, you can try for another baby but-" The doctor paused as if it were the norm to take an abnormally lengthy breathe, mid-sentence.

"But, nothing! I need you to save my daughter. Please." Haley chocked out a sob, her whole body trembling as a sudden iciness overcame her. Haley's eyes weren't looking at anything in particular but … she was staring. She was staring at nothing yet she seemed to be staring at everything. Her life seemed to blur into one big haze of confusion; a maze that she couldn't find her way out of. How had things come to this? The cold transcended down her spine and through her blood stream, making her shiver all over.

From the doctor's point of view, Haley James looked like a sufferer of Raynaud's … or a _panic attack_.

This was when Lucas knew it was time to intervene. He had been silently watching Haley's encounter with the doctor but, Lucas now knew it was his time to step in. Seeing Haley in such a state wasn't easy and he tried to hold himself together in order to keep Haley together. As her best friend, he owed her that.

"Doctor, can we have a minute, please?" The doctor looked at Lucas unsurely. When a patient experienced a panic attack it was usually traumatic for both the sufferer and their loved ones. Panic attacks resulted in anger, sadness, fear and, in the worst cases, a mix of all three. It was always a difficult sight to witness. "I'll be okay." Lucas consoled the doctor as he took his last glance at Haley. Once he was out of the room, Lucas turned to Haley, his hands resting against each shoulder blade steadily. "Breathe, Hales, everything is going to be all right. Just breathe." Lucas mumbled into Haley's hair, his hands gripping onto her tightly as if she were suddenly going to vanish into thin air.

"You have to save her," Haley's body rocked back and forth, Lucas' did too alongside her. "You have to save her, you have to save her," Haley was muttering the mantra over and over again, her voice changing its pitch and its speed every now and again. It was like she was in a trance, an unbreakable trance that she couldn't snap out of. "You have to save her, you have to save her-"

"We have to save _you," _Just like Haley, Lucas started repeating his own mantra. He needed Haley to understand that she and Nathan could have as many children as they wanted. Haley and Nathan were both fertile and healthy people with an income to support at least a dozen children comfortably. However, that couldn't happen without her in the equation. No matter what happened, Lucas knew Haley needed to go into surgery … tonight. It was the only way to keep her safe. "We have to save you, Haley James Scott and we're _going_ to save you." Lucas picked up a brochure off of the bed. He flicked through the pages until he got to one in particular – _risks. _"Look at this," Lucas didn't mean to be assertive or demanding but he knew, in a situation like the current, he needed to be. He grabbed a hold of Haley's chin and tugged so that her eyes were focused upon the sheet of paper; he held her there. Haley was looking, but, in reality, she wasn't, her eyes were clouded with tears and no matter how long she stared at the image, it blurred together more and more. "Look at it, Haley, look at it." Lucas shook Haley's shoulders. "Internal bleeding," If Haley wasn't going to read the risks; Lucas was going to explain them to her. "Infertility," Lucas paused hyperbolically. "Death."

The topic of death scared some; actually, it scared most people. However, Haley was a good person and she was going to do what she considered to be right … She was going to save somebody else's life by giving up her own. She was going to do this for her daughter. Haley had lived her life, she had gotten everything she had ever hoped for and more; she had graduated, she had fallen in love, she had started a family, pursued her dream … most people didn't get that far in their lifetimes. Haley James had lived a full life and now, it was time to let somebody else do the same.

"Save her." Haley muttered with finality to her voice. Her tone was so abrupt, it even surprised Lucas. His hands dropped from Haley's shoulders and he stared down at his out-of it best friend. "Please, Lucas, just save her." And with that, Haley broke down into another round of tears. It was easy to tell that Haley was dehydrated, the elasticity in her skin proved that, however, no matter how little she drank, she cried and cried and cried. Lucas simply hugged her to his chest, his palms running up and down her bare arms.

"I can't lose you, Hales," Lucas pressed a ginger kiss to the crown of Haley's head, the comforting piny scent of her overwhelming Lucas' senses. There was something about her that always reminded him of home. After everybody from his childhood had disappeared, all that was left was Haley. "Mom and Lily have gone … Keith's gone," Sucking in a large breathe, he continued. "I can't lose you too. Nathan can't, Jamie can't." Lucas tried to imagine a world without Haley. His eyes fluttered shut and he tried to picture spending the majority of high school alone; he could see himself sitting at Karen's Café with nobody by his side, Nathan being the jerk-like jock who broke heart after heart, Jamie never existing … "You're the one that keeps us all together-"

"You're the glue, Haley James Scott." Nathan's voice rang throughout the room and Haley looked up to find Nathan moving towards her. His face looked dishevelled; his hair messy, his eyes puffy, his forehead frowned. That was when Haley knew she was being selfish; _this was Nathan's child too, after all. _Haley's breathing hitched in her throat as Nathan stood nervously before her and she urgently felt the need to comfort him, she urgently needed him to know that their daughter was going to be okay.

"And, Tree Hill isn't Tree Hill without you." Lucas gave Haley a light squeeze before getting up to allow Nathan to take his place. As Nathan and Lucas crossed paths, Lucas leaned over to mumble into his brother's ear. Grabbing Nathan by the collar of his shirt, Lucas desperately tried to get his message across – he needed Nathan to save the girl that had saved him. Haley had been the greatest part of Lucas' childhood and Lucas would forever be in debt for that. "Please don't make the wrong decision." Lucas' words were cryptic but Nathan understood what he meant and he gave a short nod in clarification. With an awkward pat-on-the-back hug, Lucas left his brother and his wife to their own defences.

It was up to them now.

"Nathan," Haley's arms stretched outwards like a child who wanted her parent to pick her up. She looked up at Nathan with a doe look in her eyes, her mochas swirling with a sweltering darkness. Immediately – purposefully – Nathan walked into Haley's arms, his body sinking down to her level on the bed. His buff arms encircled her tiny frame and he held her to his chest, her head resting on top of his erratically beating heart. The two settled against the hospital pillows, their bodies intertwining to conjoin into one. "I … I'm scared, Nathan." Haley closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the humming melody of Nathan's heart. There was always something about his heartbeat that made Haley feel better. Knowing that he was there, that he would _always be there_ was just so comforting. "I'm so, so scared."

"I know, baby, I know," Nathan placed an open-mouthed kiss against Haley's temple. The motion was soothing to both of them and Nathan slowly peppered kisses against Haley's face, kissing away her tears. "We'll be okay; you're going to be okay."

"No," Haley shook her head. "I'm not scared for me, I'm scared for her," Haley threaded her fingers through Nathan's and placed his palm against her stomach, their hands moving together in gentle circles. Being that she was only three months pregnant, there were no physical signs of her pregnancy but, the gesture was enough to make Nathan's heart swarm. Their child was in there, growing in there. "You've always wanted a girl, Nathan. Remember the night that we got married? You said-"

"I wanted a little girl, just like you, I wanted to feel my heartbreak every time I looked into her beautiful, beautiful eyes." Nathan grinned dimly; his eyes staring down at Haley's glimmering eyes … she always had beautiful eyes. There was something about the depth of them had Nathan shaking in his shoes. It shocked him how mesmerised he became whenever he looked into her widened eyes; he was always getting lost in them. He had always wanted to feel that same feeling with his daughter; a small part of him and a small part of Haley. "And, we _will _have a beautiful daughter one day, I promise you, but … we can only have a baby girl, _together_, if you get through this surgery."

"We already have a beautiful daughter together." Haley glanced down at her stomach. "And you're going to be an amazing father to her, like you are to Jamie-"

"An amazing father?" Nathan pulled his hand out of Haley's, his head shaking in disbelief. "I'm not an amazing father, look at you … look at Jamie! I failed him as a father. I abandoned you both when you needed me the most and I will forever be in debt for breaking your hearts." Haley cradled Nathan's cheek with her hand, her thumb absentmindedly stroking the light stubble that was growing upon his lower face. "But, I can only do that if you fight this, Hales … I can't beg for your forgiveness if you don't let me save you, let the doctors save you."

"I … can't … we can't kill her," Haley couldn't look Nathan in the face as she said this. Her chin dropped so that it was touching her chest and Nathan watched as she fell apart, even more. The pain was so clearly evident in her posture and it pained Nathan even more to know that there was nothing he could do to make this better for Haley. This was actually a life or death situation. "She's going to grow up and … she's going to go to college and she's going to fall in love and walk down the aisle and have her own children and she'll sit there with her children's children-"

"She's going to grow up without a mother, she's going to have nobody to braid her hair or gossip with, she's going to have an empty childhood-" Nathan was rambling, just trying to imagine his daughter's life without Haley in it. "We're meant to grow old together, Haley James Scott. You promised and … I'm going to ensure that you keep that promise." Nathan's hands slipped into Haley's golden hair, his fingers gingerly pulling out the knots and tangles. It was odd, but, the notion had always relaxed Nathan. Haley's soft tresses were long and silky smooth; it was one of the most comforting things to do after a stressful day … just be there with her. "I'm not going to lose you or Jamie, ever."

Nathan grabbed Haley's face in both of his large hands, forcing her lips to his own. Their lips met halfway in a messy tangle of flesh, tongue and tears. Deep down, Nathan expected Haley to push him away but, she didn't. Her hands snaked upwards to wrap around his neck, her arms tugging him closer to her body. Haley's desperation and ache was laced into the kiss and Nathan's hands wondered her body in an animalistic manner. He couldn't lose her, he _wouldn't_. His hands clutched her like he had been deprived of her body for years; it surely felt that. And, Haley most definitely responded in that way. Haley's fingers clasped onto the thin strands of Nathan's hair, pulling relentlessly every time his tongue probed at Haley's lips. "I," Nathan pulled away to catch his breath, his lips descending down Haley's chin to her neck; her weak spot. A gasp transcended through Haley's throat and Nathan smirked lowly against her skin. He loved knowing that he was the only man that had ever done something like this to her. The thought of her only _ever making love to Nathan_ filled him with so much pride; it made Haley all the more desirable to him. "Love," Nathan continued his torturously pleasurable act upon Haley's neck, her low breathing urging him to continue. "You."

"I love you too." Haley bit down upon her lower lip as she moaned. Her head fell backwards, her hair splaying out contrastingly against the stark white pillows. "Always and forever."

"Through sickness and in health." Nathan smiled as he quoted a segment from his vows that were perfectly fitting for his current situation.

"Till death do us part." Haley continued, only to have Nathan frown at her. His lips left her neck and he shuffled upwards on the bed, his nose brushing against hers lightly.

"We have years to think about death," Nathan was whispering now, his arms holding him up so that he didn't crush Haley's small body. She looked so vulnerable, lying there beneath him with swollen lips and hollow cheeks. It made Nathan want to stay like forever; he wanted to shield her from all the troubles in the world. He wanted to protect her. "You're not dying, not under my watch. You're going to go into surgery and I am going to take you home. We are both going to go home to our wonderfully gorgeous, intelligent son, okay?"

_Jamie. _

Haley had been so caught up with the ectopic pregnancy and her relationship with Nathan that her mind hadn't had time to think of Jamie. She had seen him earlier but it was approaching nine in the evening now, hours past her son's bed time. Was he okay? Did Nathan tell him about the baby? Was he upset? Confused? Who was he with? He obviously wasn't with Nathan or Lucas who were currently at the hospital … "Jamie needs you, Haley … don't leave him."

Haley looked down at the set of brochures once again; a guilty feeling settled within Haley's gut as a million questions flew through her mind.

After moments of silence, Haley spoke again.

"Never."


	8. Chapter 8

Water. It was calming to some, the gentle pull and push onto a golden shore; the sound echoing throughout a comforting emptiness, leaving you and you alone. To some, water was a necessity. Water was what their lives thrived of; what kept their food growing and their children healthy. To others, water was toxic, it was an area of immensity that was all most frightening; it was cold and harsh and uncontrollable.

To Haley James, water was inviting …

Haley stood with her body directed towards the pool, the glimmering blue sending speckles of light across her face. It was chilly outside and a winter blanket was wrapped around her torso tightly, her fingers clutching at the grainy knit. Haley's eyes focused on the ripple waves forming in the pool, her iris' following their every move until they disappeared and the cycle started all over again. She didn't know how long she had been standing there but, the ache in her legs and the icy touch of her skin was an indication of the time she had spent outside. Yet, no matter how cold she felt or how tired her legs got, Haley couldn't bring herself to move from her spot. She had never realised how truly beautiful the back yard of her lavish home was and tonight, she couldn't get enough of it. Darkness had blanketed the whole of Tree Hill and nevertheless, Haley had never felt so alive. It was as if an epiphany had struck her and she was being exposed to things that she had never seen before. Haley was seeing beauty in things she would have never looked twice at. Haley was being drawn to the water in front of her.

Slowly, yet surely, Haley took small steps towards the edge of the pool. Every step she took made the briny blue liquid seem all the more enticing. Haley was bewitched and nothing seemed to stop her as her feet left concrete and dove straight into freezing water. Her hair splayed out above her head and her blanket was ripped from her grasp. Underwater, Haley's motions were aggressive and violent all most but, she didn't fight it. Haley didn't fight the water, she embraced it. She felt a certain serenity as the water caressed her skin and rocked her, this way and that. With her eyes firmly closed and the oxygen fizzling out of her body, Haley felt happy. She felt lightheaded. She oddly felt _awakened_.

In Haley's mind she could see her dad, Jimmy, smiling. She could see her beloved Uncle Keith. She could see a baby girl, a toddler; the spitting image of Nathan. Without any question, Haley knew who this girl was – _her daughter_. Unlike Jamie, who had inherited Haley's blonde hair, this girl had inherited her father's black tresses. Her raven black hair hung in loose ringlets by the side of her head, small wisps bellowing in the gentle breeze. Haley had never seen such gorgeousness in a child, not even in Jamie. This girl's skin glowed with an unnatural white which just made her rosy lips even more predominant. She was beautiful, painfully so.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Keith's all most majestic voice echoed throughout the white washed space they were currently in. This was when Haley's eyes adjusted to her surroundings; she was in a large empty room. The place seemed to stretch for miles in all directions with nothing in it: no furniture, no windows, no doors. It was simple and minimalist, dreamily picturesque. "Summer looks exactly like Nate." Keith moved closer towards Haley's daughter, his palm resting on top of her head lovingly.

"Summer?" Haley questioned, unsurely, her eyes drifting between Keith and her child.

"You named her Summer." Haley's lips formed a round shape as she gasped softly, her hands cupping her inflamed cheeks. She watched as Summer lifted her head to grin at her Uncle, a set of dimples arising upon her face. It was the kind of look that Haley and Lucas used to give to Keith when they were younger. To them, Keith had always played a fatherly figure in their lives and whatever he did, Lucas and Haley admired. It didn't matter that he wore a bandana or a ratty sweatshirt or scruffy jeans; Keith was always like Haley's father. Tears arose in Haley's eyes as a gaping whole formed within her. Her heart ached knowing Jamie would never get to smile at Keith like that; he would never get to know him like she had.

"You named her Summer because it was summer when you and Nathan spoke for the first time," Jimmy, Haley's biological father, put an arm around Haley's shoulders, giving her a tight squeeze. His naturally minty scent enveloped Haley's senses and, for the first time in a while, Haley felt at home. She felt comfortable and at peace and, she didn't want to let go of that feeling. Her hands clung to Jimmy's bicep desperately, keeping him fixated at her side. "It was summer when you and Nate got married, summer when you returned home from tour, summer when you renewed your vows, summer when you had Jamie … _Summer changed your life_ - it's how you came up with the name."

"Summer," Haley muttered under her breathe, letting it all sink in. "My baby girl, Summer." Haley chocked out a sob, her body collapsing into her father's hands. Like always, Jimmy was there to catch his daughter. He held Haley's limp body in his arms, his heart breaking alongside hers. "She's … she's … I'm …" Haley couldn't form a coherent sentence, her mind drifting in a thousand different directions. Deep down, Haley knew what she was seeing was a figment of her imagination and it was killing her to know that she would never – really – get to see her daughter grow up. She was never going to see her Dad or Keith again; never get to see any of them grow old and vice versa. They were gone. "What am I going to do without you, huh? … How am I meant to go on without her? … How am I meant to live?"

"You'll be okay, Haley Bob," Jimmy placed a tender kiss to the crown of Haley's head, his lips lingering against her skin. He missed this, being with her. Jimmy had a large family and they were a wild bunch, each one of them as crazy as the other. But, Haley, being the youngest, had always had a special connection with her father. She had been the last child that Jimmy had taught how to walk and how to ride a bike and seeing her flourish into this strong, courageous woman was enough for him to rest in peace. "You have your family to support you, your friends. Your mom," Jimmy smiled, his mind conjuring up an image of his wife, Lydia. "And most importantly, you have Nathan and Jamie."

"You're stronger than this, Haley," Keith picked Summer up into his arms, walking the girl over towards her mother. "Don't let life beat you down, not when you have so much left to see of it." Gingerly, Keith handed Summer over towards Haley. At first, Haley was hesitant; her heart pounded heavily and her hands grew clammy but, once her skin touched Summer's, all of Haley's worries slipped away. They simply vanished if they had never existed. Summer was so small and so precious, it stole Haley's breathe away.

"Hi, baby," Haley cooed at Summer, bouncing her body softly within her arms. Sparks travelled through Haley's bloodstream, a certain joy settling with her. Her maternal instinct was beginning to arise to the surface and she clutched at her daughter lovingly. "Hi, I'm your momma. Hi." Summer giggled, her eyes trying to take in every detail of Haley's foreign yet strikingly familiar face. "That's right, I'm your mom." Hugging Summer to her chest tightly, Haley turned to the two deceased members of her family; her tears making a reappearance. "I can't let her go, I can't leave her-"

"You don't have to, sweetie, you don't ever have to let go." Jimmy reprimanded Haley, his finger waggling in the air playfully. "We'll always be here," Jimmy intertwined his fingers with Haley's before placing their hands upon her beating heart. "We'll always be a part of your life and don't you forget that."

"She's my daughter, daddy, I can't leave her." Haley pressed her cheek up against Summer's, taking in her scent. Haley inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to savour every little thing of her. Haley wanted to remember what she smelt like and what she looked like; the way her eyes glinted, the way her fingers bent awkwardly, the way her hair felt, the way she smiled – Haley wanted to remember it all because she was scared that soon enough, she would forget it all.

"You're my daughter and I let you go." Jimmy reminded her, pressing his index finger against the tip of her nose for a split second before pulling away. The gesture was something Jimmy had done with Haley as a child and she smiled weakly in return.

"That's not the same," Haley shook her head, a scattering of tears falling down her face. "You had sixteen years with me … I … I … I only get this; this is the only time I get with her."

"Sixteen years too many," Jimmy joked, eliciting a hearty laugh from Keith. Haley just scowled and Jimmy put his serious face back on. "Listen to me, Haley Bob James Scott, Summer and Keith and I will always be there to look out for you, it's our job to make sure you stay safe and happy. But, in order for us to do that, you have to let go … let us go-" Before Haley could interject Jimmy raised his palm, ushering her to stop. "Summer is your daughter and nothing is going to change that, however, death is just a way of life and the sooner you come to terms with that, the better. Nothing you do is going to bring us or her back but, what you can do is let us rest in peace by living your life to the fullest. Live everyday like it's your last, live like there's no tomorrow and I can assure you, time will fly by and you, Nate, Jamie and your grandchild and hey, even your great grandchildren will be here, right with us."

"Your dad's right, Hales," Keith smiled comfortingly. "You have years of your life left, you have years to have more children and fulfil your dreams, don't give that up. The world is your oyster and you need to do with it as you please … whether that be having a bigger family or touring … you can do whatever you want and you know why?" Haley shrugged her shoulders and jutted out her chin, silently requesting for Keith to continue. "Because you're a Scott and Scott's can do anything when they put their mind to."

"I … I miss you, I miss you both." The foursome came together into a hug, arms slotting into free gaps so that they were all entwined together. The hug was so awkwardly dysfunctional all most metaphorical of Haley and her family. Haley came from a not so perfect family that argued and cried and laughed and smiled and somehow, that one hug reminded her that blood was thicker than water. Anything was possible when Haley had her family by her side. "So much."

"We miss you too but, remember-" Keith left the sentence hanging for Haley to finish.

"You're always with me." Haley nodded understandingly.

"Always and forever." Jimmy elbowed Haley's side, a laugh escaping his lips which was soon followed by Keith's and then Haley's.

"We love you, Momma." Summer placed a kiss onto Haley's bare shoulder blade. "But, there are two people who love you more."

Summer's voice rang in Haley's ear continuously, at first, it was as clear as day. And then, gradually, it began to grow more and more distant. The empty space began to blur away and Keith, Jimmy and Summer moved further into the horizon. As panic settled within her, Haley tried to clutch onto them … she wanted to make them stay somehow but, as she fought to keep them with her, she felt it more and more difficult to breathe. Haley tried to inhale and found it virtually impossible to do so. Every time her nostrils flared and her mouth opened, water flooded in through her mouth and her oesophagus, filling her stomach.

"Oh my god," Summer's voice was drowned out by a louder one. "Jamie, stand back okay?" Haley could feel a hand against her shoulder, but, it was too heavy to be Summer's. This hand was calloused and large and was clinging to her as if it were a situation of life and death – Nathan, it was Nathan's hand. Haley felt Nathan tug her abruptly and suddenly, Haley was thrust back into reality. The memory of Summer and Keith and Jimmy was just that, a memory. "Haley, Haley, open your eyes!" Nathan's wet hand slapped Haley's cheek, his other trying to press against her water filled insides. His movements were hurried and frazzled; his hands shaking in fear. "Come on, Hales, open your eyes for me."

"Momma." Haley heard Jamie's heartbroken voice and suddenly, she coughed, her eyes snapping open in the meantime. Water spurted out of Haley's mouth onto Nathan's already soaked shirt and he let out an audible sigh of relief, his hands forcing Haley against his body into a lung-wrenching hug. "Momma!" Jamie was standing beside the pool in his pyjamas, his eyes widened like saucers. "Are you ok-"

"Are you okay, Haley?" Nathan interjected, his hands pushing at Haley's shoulders so that he could look her in the eye. "Baby, what happened? Are you all right?"

Honestly, Nathan had never been so scared in his life. He had woken up in his bed to find Haley missing, something which he had grown accustomed to over the past couple of nights. After her surgery, two days ago, Haley hadn't been able to sleep. She would toss and turn and eventually just give up on the whole ideal of sleep all together. Nathan could hear her wondering the house or moving pots and pans around in the kitchen and, he'd leave her to it. He knew she needed to be alone for a while and he was respecting her wishes. Tonight, however, Nathan had woken up at the hands of Jamie. His son and had shaken him awake and as expected, Haley was gone. But, this time, Haley wasn't reorganising the pantry or playing the piano … Jamie had found her lying face-flat in the pool. Nathan didn't know why Jamie was awake at such an ungodly hour or why he had ended up outside, all Nathan knew was that he was thankful that Jamie had found Haley when he had. Haley was barely breathing when Nathan had pulled her out of the water and Nathan knew that if he was any later she would … Haley could have … she _would_ have died.

"I …" Haley looked at Jamie who had now sat himself down on top of the pool drain. He didn't care that his clothes were getting wet or that it was freezing cold, he simply looked at his mother with pure panic in his eyes. "I …" Haley pulled Nathan with her and towards their son, her hands reaching up to clasp Jamie. "I love you," She muttered into Jamie's blonde hair, her words coming out muffled. "I'm sorry … I'm so, so sorry, Jamie. I love you, I love you, Nathan." Haley's words were rushed and quick and Nathan could see that she meant every word that she said. "I don't … I can't lose you."

"Hey, we love you too," Nathan lifted Haley out of the water so that she was sitting beside Jamie, her legs dangling into the water. "And, everything's going to be okay … we're going to be okay."

Water means a lot of things to a lot of different people. To Haley James Scott, water symbolised a new way of life; a reincarnation of sorts. Haley had a new appreciation for the life that had been handed to her and, she knew now – thanks to her three guardian angels – that life was worth living to the fullest.

Haley was going to live her dream, love her dream, no regrets.


	9. Chapter 9

"Bacon crispy, eggs scrambled pancakes blueberry-" Jamie muttered as he yawned, his hands rubbing at his tired eyes. Haley just stood by the doorway of the kitchen with her arms folded across her chest, an eyebrow quirked upwards.

"Other than a please and a thank you, have you forgotten something?" Haley prodded, waiting for her son to adjust to being awake and that took a few minutes. Haley waited patiently before Jamie's face erupted with a smile that could shun any fireworks display and Haley's was similar. Her whole body lurched onto the ground as she enveloped Jamie into a bone crushing hug that stole both of their breathe away. "Happy seventh birthday, Jimmy-Jam!"

"Thanks, momma." Jamie placed a slobbery, messy kiss against Haley's cheek, his arms wounding around her neck. Jamie was most definitely growing but he was still small enough for Haley to carry. For the past few days Haley had managed to regain her strength after the surgery and was currently on her way to a speedy discovery. It was evidently clear that Haley's complexion was returning and her face didn't look as hollow; she was returning to some form of normality. And, now, she was able to hold Jamie effectively without it being too much of a physical struggle on her behalf. "Is it time for the story yet?" Jamie asked as Haley walked him towards the kitchen.

"Hey, hey, hey," Nathan's long legs skipped down the stairs as he caught sight of Jamie in Haley's arms. He knew she was recovering but Nathan had promised himself he was going to take care of Haley and right now, he didn't believe she was strong enough to be aimlessly carrying Jamie around. After finding Haley face down in the pool, Nathan's heart had fallen into his rib cage; he had felt his whole world crumble when he thought Haley was dead. And, from then onwards Nathan had decided, family came first. "No unnecessary straining yourself." Nathan took Jamie from Haley's arms before placing him onto a breakfast stool. Jamie simply smiled to himself as he watched his father kiss his mother's cheek. They had been arguing for weeks and it made him happy to see him mom happy.

"Nathan, I'm fine-"

"Happy birthday, son." Nathan simply ignored Haley and turned towards Jamie. Nathan plopped himself in the seat beside Jamie, his arms folding across the kitchen island. Haley grinned at the two of them; admiring their light resemblance. She had concluded that Jamie, as he grew older, looked more and more like Nathan. He had her eyes and her biologically blonde hair but, his features, his features resembled Nathan's. Sitting beside one another, Haley could easily pin point the same button nose and those same sea blue eyes. It was a magical feeling that had chills running through her, her mind paying homage to their beautiful, deceased daughter. "So, tell me, what are your plans for today?"

"Well, there's my party later but right now, momma was going to tell _the story_." Nathan's eyebrow quirked upwards in interest, his whole body lurching forwards to listen to his wife intently.

"Really?" Nathan's voice was laced with an excitement that Jamie's didn't even currently hold. "I'm actually awake for the story this year?"

"Yes, you are," Haley began rummaging through cupboards for ingredients to make the annual birthday breakfast she had made Jamie ever since he could digest whole foods. "I tried waking him up at midnight but-"

"I was tired!" Jamie, just on cue, yawned loudly, eliciting a laugh from Nathan.

Just like Jamie's breakfast, it was tradition for Haley to wake him up at midnight on his birthday. Haley would sneak out of bed and crawl into Jamie's and she would tell him about her and Nathan; a little fragment of her love story and how that led to Jamie's birth. Obviously, being that Jamie was so young, Haley had never delved into extravagant detail but, she had given away enough to assure Jamie that true love was real. Haley – when growing up – had seen true love bloom over the years between her parents and she wanted her son to feel the same way she had. She wanted him to know that even though the world consisted of madness and that bad things happened to good people, there was always light on the other side of the tunnel. There was always a person that he could rely on. It was why Haley had decided to tell Jamie little snippets of her love story with Nathan.

"So, Haley James, what are you going to share with us today?" Nathan had only discovered the little tradition between his wife and son a few years ago. Before he woke up, Haley was always back by his side in bed, like she had never left. It wasn't until he had nipped to the bathroom and noticed Haley was missing, that he had uncovered the duos little secret. Since then, he had always forgotten or simply been too tired to wake up for Haley's little stories.

"Yeah, momma! What story are you going to tell me today?"

"It's actually a story about the day I told your Uncle Lucas that I liked your father." Haley prodded at Nathan's shoulder mockingly with a spoon. "Lucas had just found out about me tutoring Nathan and he wasn't the happiest person alive, obviously-"

"I can't believe you didn't like Uncle Lucas, daddy." Jamie huffed.

"Buddy, it was a long time ago," Nathan's mouth lifted slightly, remembering the petty arguments he and Lucas used to partaken in. It was funny thinking back on it because, the root of the conflict between Nate and Lucas was Dan … somebody who they now knew was not worth the fight. "Now, shh, this is a story I've never heard before either."

"Lucas was on his way to this jamboree at Nathan's house and he was wearing this really, really ugly tie when I went to see him. As his best friend, I had to help him out but … then we started talking about me tutoring Nathan and, before I could even tell Luke, he guessed." Haley shrugged and Nathan's eyes widened in surprise. Haley, noticing his startled expression, explained further. "Lucas just knew, as my best friend … he had figured it out. It was like I had '_I have a crush on Nathan Scott tattooed on my forehead_' and, surprisingly enough, he wasn't as angry as I had imagined he would be. Lucas just told me that he trusted my judgement and that he wanted me to be careful."

"He did not," Nathan scoffed in disbelief. "Luke used to hate the sight of us when we first started dating!"

"Ah, but you didn't let me finish," Haley stirred at the pancake batter in her bowl. "Lucas, Karen and …" Haley paused, the ghost of a smile drifting onto her face. "Uncle Keith went to the jamboree and I was left at the café, the night was slow and I pretty much spent the time eating coffee cake. But, then, Karen called saying there was a mishap with the dessert and that she needed my help. So, I drove down to Nathan's house. Grandma Deb said I could stay and enjoy the party and so, I stayed." Haley chuckled softly. "Me and your dad were about to go grab some drinks when your Aunt Brooke decided she was going to humiliate me!" Haley let her face fall into her hands.

"What? Why were none of you friends in high school?"

"Nope, bud, none of us really got along in high school, apart from Lucas and your mom." The thought completely baffled Jamie. All his life, all he had ever known was the strong bond between his parents and their friends, it felt weird to even considering them not being friends at one point in time. "And, as you know, your mom was my tutor and she'd made me this little box full of stuff to help me study. She'd left a little note in it which Aunt Brooke read it out to everyone; claiming that I had made fun out of Haley."

"Did you?" Jamie looked at his father with a frown on his face; coming to the quick defence of his mother. From the stories that Mouth and Skills had told Jamie, he knew his dad wasn't the nicest of people during high school but, Jamie also knew that his father was one of the nicest people he knew. However, Haley topped the nice people list. Her heart was so big and so warm; it made Jamie angry just thinking about somebody trying to intentionally hurt her. "Did you make fun of her? Because that's really mean …"

"No, kiddo, I didn't … That note, and that moment, was actually what made me realise that I was falling in love with your mom." Nathan remembered that rush he felt that night, that feeling of true admiration towards a person that wasn't himself. He realised then and there that Haley was one of a kind and he was stupid to have been supposedly captivated by Peyton. "It made me realise how special she was."

"It was also the moment that Lucas found me at Karen's café in tears." Haley told Jamie and Nathan audibly gasped at this. When he said he'd never heard this story before, he had meant it. Why had Haley never told him this before? "I felt stupid for falling for your father and getting myself involved with what Luke and I used to call, the _snobby_ _popular kids_. Lucas vowed, there and then, that he would always, always protect me. Deep down, even then, I always knew he would but … I guess that was a defining moment in our friendship. It's kind of why your Uncle Lucas has always stuck by me and your father."

"I … Hales," Nathan got up from his seat to wrap his arms around Haley from behind. Her whole body fell against his as he peppered gentle kisses against her cheek. "I'm sorry … I didn't … I knew you were mad that day but, I didn't know Brooke and I had hurt you that much-"

"Nathan, its fine … we were sixteen and I mean … look at where we are today. The heartbreak over the years was, well … worth it. It's been a journey that I wouldn't trade for the world. I am here … you are here and most importantly, we have a beautiful son who is here." Haley grabbed her spoon and dabbed the smallest droplet of pancake batter against Jamie's nose. The boy let a little squeal and before the threesome knew it, food was being thrown around mercilessly. Vivid blueberries were slapped against the whitewashed walls, staining the place in all kinds of shades of blue; eggs were thrown, pancake batter, tangerines, even a few eggs were cracked. The place was an absolute mess. But, the mess didn't matter, for the first time in what felt like years, the Scott family was having carefree fun. There was no stress or no weighted hearts; just simple, spontaneous happiness.

It was beautiful.

"Okay, okay, okay, I surrender!" Nathan grabbed a white paper towel, waving it around in the air before using it to wipe down his face. Haley and Jamie just looked at one another, their hands full with the food that they were ready to launch. Jamie lifted his eyebrow and Haley mirrored his action. Nathan could see his wife and his son conspire a plan internally and he retreated backwards cautiously.

"I don't know … what do you think, James Lucas Scott?" Haley asked.

"Hm, I think-" Jamie stroked at his chin mockingly, his eyes rolling backwards in supposed deep thought. "I think Daddy better watch his back." Jamie's voice quickened drastically and Haley grinned as she shoved her hand into more batter and threw it square into Nathan's chest. The half liquid, half solid substance hit his chest with a loud smack and Nathan glared down at before widening his eyes at Haley.

"Oh, Haley James Scott, it's on … it's so on!" Nathan lunged for a canister of orange juice but froze when Haley did. Haley had paused and her smile had dropped instantly. Nathan approached Haley slowly, unsure of what had happened so suddenly. "Hales? Baby, what's wrong?"

"You called me Haley James … _Scott_. I'm not a Scott-" Nathan quickly cut off Haley by pressing his food coated lips against hers quickly. Haley mumbled against his mouth in protest but Nathan just pressed his lips against Haley's harder. There were the usual sparks and that blood boiling chemistry that Haley could never tire from. Haley just gave into Nathan's hold and kissed him back. His lips were just as addictive as the first time he'd kissed her. The two kissed momentarily - remembering that Jamie was in the room – pulling away so that they could catch their laboured breathe.

"You are a Scott, the both of you," Nathan pulled Jamie into his and Haley's side, the three coming together in an awkwardly positioned family embrace. "And, I was stupid to let anybody tell me otherwise. You are my family and I'm … I'm going to make this all better; I'm going to make everything okay. I promise you."


End file.
